Hoosier Families!.....

Please read!

Let's exceed 5,000 signatures! Aiming high here but I bet we can do it!!

It's time we stop arresting our loved ones for their disease and it's time we start helping!!

Sending individuals who suffer from substance use to community-based treatment programs instead of prisons could reduce crime and save billions of dollars. The savings would result from immediate reductions in the cost of incarceration, and by subsequent reductions in the number of crimes committed by successfully treated offenders, which leads to fewer re-arrests and re-incarcerations.

In many courtrooms, judges see the same defendants so often they're practically on a first-name basis. Whether the charges are breaking and entering, driving under the influence, neglecting a child, (which is climbing rapidly) or some other offense, the underlying cause is often the same: alcohol or drug abuse. There is no secret that 80% of all people in the justice system serving sentences or awaiting them are there for one base reason: addition. Do the charges read "Drug Addiction" ? Nope. But whether it's robbing your employer, purse snatching, theft from a store, prostitution, or robbery (and it doesn't end there) , the same reason exists for all those charges and it goes back to supporting addiction. Sitting in jail cells all together creating new contacts and dealers doesn't fix the problem that lead them to drug use in the beginning. Getting to the source and medically treating, maintaining, and keeping closely monitored follow ups is what is NOT happening.

Drug abuse is seen as an issue with brain biology rather than seen as crime.

Drug-dependent people should not be treated with discrimination; they should be treated by medical experts and provided with treatment. Drug addiction is a disease, not a crime.

Yes, addicted people eventually fall into crime to support their habit, but why don't we stop that from happening and help these people get the treatment they deserve and need.

Incarceration does not work. Plain and simple. Furthermore, statistics show that addiction actually grows while in prison. The amount of people using drugs in jails and prisons are unbelievable! Suboxone, heroin, methadone, xanax,, any pills., anything. It's there. Being in the legal system is not helping, there is no treatment, there is no point in serving time for self harming with an inner issue that gets no resolve behind bars with other people suffering the same thing. I believe the war on drugs initiated over 40 years ago has now caused our prison systems to be over populated and full of people with addiction. How can our prison population be sober when they haven't dealt with proper treatment or given the chance.? I also believe that America believes this, not just me.

Addiction has finally been seen as a public health issue and not a law enforcement issue. Why are we punishing people that already punish themselves?

How many more public defenders are going to be paid for someone abusing drugs and harming themselves?

How many more broken families? Broken marriages? Kids in state custody taken away from their addicted parents? State prison budgets being blown over the top for housing individuals that need medical treatment? Tax payers monies being used to incarcerate and house people that suffer from addiction and only have it repeat itself over and over? How many more lives will be lost for those who walk out of the jail after months and months and then go inject themselves with heroin and overdose? How many more lives lost today while this is being passed around? Right now? Someone just died from an overdose as we continue to ignore the real medical issue and cuff people and lock them up! Is this the route Indiana wants to continue take?

Hope and OVERcoming, Inc., based out of Hamilton County is asking the police departments across Indiana to create a partnership with recovery centers everywhere, not just Indiana, and allow these people with addiction to walk in to YOUR stations and hand over any paraphernalia, narcotics, whatever they have, and you not arrest them or ask where it came from, allowing them to ask for help? Police everywhere can help facilitate a treatment program to help these people... How about we follow the lead of Gloucester, Massachusetts Police Department and create a plan for true recovery? To create a therapeutic community and work together. It makes too much sense. Give these people HOPE, their parents, their spouses, their kids, and the community. We all know that 4 out of 5 people suffering with an opiate addiction started from legally prescribed narcotics, what the government allowed physicians across America to prescribe. We can't keep putting people in prison for drug use. If they know they can get help and walk in safely to our protecting police officers and get help when they already down, depressed, out and hopeless....there is a higher chance of stopping these growing crimes! Lowering the amount of prisoners and even more important, saving lives!!!!

We need you ALL to reach out to statewide organizations in your area to create a partnership, allow and accept raised funds, find treatment centers that will accept a partnership or a deal, and get our community cleaned up! The people of each community should be able to trust and rely on their respective police departments to listen to them, see the needs and become unified.

Help create a community of productive and healthy lives with people helping people, it only makes us BETTER!

Be part of the SOLUTION with REAL RESULTS.

Hope and OVERcoming, Inc. is willing to partner with any police department statewide and help make this happen as are many other Indiana organizations.

Sincerely,

Gina Bardach-President: Hope and OVERcoming, Inc.

Supported by: Hope and OVERcoming, Inc.,

Brandon Drake-Monroe County

Tonya Murphy-Morgan County

Dawn Brock-Boone County