USPol/Justice Neg
So my little brother, the addict is looking at 5 years to life for aggravated robbery...
That as far as we can tell... and his well paid DA has determined so far.. is based on the testimony of his old druggy buddy turned CI who recently showed up in his life and basically destroyed it and the fact that a truck that look like his was seen on a traffic came nearby. (Not exactly an uncommon vehicle, 2011 Black Dodge Ram 2500 diesel 4x4 4 door, especially in that part of Utah)
Of course CI druggy "friend" is not in jail while my brother has spent a week in jail with no bail posted, and no charges until today (day 7).
During which he started having seizures from methadone withdraw because the county jail refuses to give methadone to him or any other meds for that matter.
Oh and they are charging him $45/day for the jail stay.
Druggy buddy is the person responsible for getting him kidnapped and beaten by a local gang because buddy got him using again... and took him somewhere to score... said gang knew buddy was a CI and beat, tortured and kidnapped my little brother, took his truck and stripped... forced him to sell drugs at gun point (later witnessed by my mom when she showed up at the location his phone was pinging when she turned on the tracker).
The robbery in question took place while his wife swears he was at home and his phone shows the same...
He is also being charged with a parole volition (drug stuff from a few years ago) because his phone was stolen when he was kidnapped... and his PO ignored the voicemail from him because it was from my mom's phone number... thus the PO is insisting that he missed a check in..
re: USPol/Justice Neg
Don't get me wrong, my younger brother is a drug addict, he has serious mental health issues and PTSD as the result of a years of physical abuse from my former stepdad and sexual abuse by a neighbor as a toddler...
During his teens he was definitely.. edging into scumbag territory and has stolen and pawned stuff from friends and family..
But after 2 years in prison for a drug charge he had started to get his life together, focused on taking care of his two kids and got married, had a stable job until Druggy CI buddy showed up a month ago.
He clearly needs serious mental health treatment... last time he saw someone.. we never got the full details but he also was abused in prison.. apparently.
So... he is a mess, he needs help.. but class warfare justice dictates drug use is a crime and not a mental health issue.. so he went to prison for heroine he didn't have on him at the time of his arrest (utah allows people to be charged with prior possession based on blood tests).
This fucked his life harder, it is extremely difficult to find a job with felony drug possession in Utah.
Knowing the court system out there... he will go likely do hard time for this... because of previous convictions.
I'm just... sad and angry.
I never knew how to help my brother... or my father with their struggles with addiction and PTSD.
I still don't. I just... I hate that the world is the way it is and that it broke someone with so much potential. I remember this creative, curious, intelligent person before the addiction...
I wish he could be that. I wish he could learn to deal with the horrible shit life dealt us as kids with out drugs... I know he will never stop being an addict... I hate the way our world treats people like him.
The last time I saw him in person, he was this focused, caring person that was getting up at 4am every day to work construction to make sure his kids had a place to live and a better childhood than him. That was 7 months ago.
re: USPol/Justice Neg
I'm probably writing all this because... I feel guilty for my frustration and anger toward him when he was younger. My college fund went towards paying for his first attempt at recovery... along with putting my mom hugely in debt.
During my recovery from shoulder surgery my senior year of high school I spent several nights in agony because he stole my pain meds.
I had a lot of selfish resentment for him when I should have been more understanding and supportive.
I don't know if it would have made a difference. Probably not..
I've tried to distance myself and isolate myself from my family... because outside of my mom and her husband... they don't understand me, or my own struggle with TG stuff or anything.
My brother doesn't even know..
I'm starting to ramble.. I don't know what to say other than I hate the way the our society has focused on punishment over rehabilitation and treatment... and I wish the world was different.. but I don't know how to change it.
re: USPol/Justice Neg
@wobblewuffess
Raiding your savings and medication prescribed to you for recovery from surgery is not a petty thing to have anger over. You were harmed by his behavior, and it is entirely up to you whether you wish to forgive this person who hurt you; you do not owe him a damn thing.