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How Do You Stop Recidivism When 99% of the Drugs Are Being Brought in and Distributed by Staff?


Recidivism—the tendency of a convicted individual to reoffend—is a critical issue in our prison system. But here’s the harsh reality that many people outside the system don’t realize: a staggering percentage of the drugs that fuel addiction inside prisons are brought in and distributed by the very staff who are supposed to be upholding the law. This isn’t just speculation—I’ve seen it firsthand.

The prison where my husband is incarcerated is riddled with Fentanyl, a drug that destroys lives, a drug that nearly took my husband's life before. As a recovering addict, he fights daily against the temptation and the demons that come with it. But here’s the added layer of frustration: the prison system refuses to help him with a Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, despite our numerous pleas. They say prison is about rehabilitation, but how can that be true when the very substances that destroy lives are easier to get behind bars than on the streets?

I’ve watched this cycle play out, not just with my husband, but with countless others. My husband has been clean for a time now, and every day is a battle to maintain that. For someone in recovery, being surrounded by drugs like Fentanyl creates an unbearable pressure. Without proper treatment or support from the prison system, it feels like they’re just waiting for the next relapse, setting him up for failure rather than success.

Every day, my husband is forced to fight off those demons with nothing but the Faith of God and the support of his wife. He doesn’t have access to the MAT program that could help him stay on the right track, but he has faith. He has me, and I have him. Together, we pray that God can guide him through the triggers, through the intense desire to numb the pain, to escape just for a moment from the cruel environment of a prison that claims to offer “rehabilitation.”

This is where the system fails us all. They talk about rehabilitation, about giving people the tools they need to reintegrate into society. But how can they talk about reform when drugs like Fentanyl are flowing freely inside the prison walls, brought in by those who should be ensuring a safe environment? My husband isn’t just fighting his addiction—he’s fighting the system that makes it harder for him to stay clean.

Addiction is a disease, and yet, the very institutions meant to help people overcome it are doing the opposite. The easy access to drugs, the refusal to implement life-saving programs like MAT, and the hypocrisy of it all—it’s a system set up to fail.

So, what can we do? As family members, it’s up to us to continue advocating for our loved ones. We pray, we support, and we fight for the help they deserve. I’m standing by my husband, not just as his wife but as his advocate. And every day, I pray to God that we can get through this, that we can resist the pull of addiction, that we can find strength in faith.

I refuse to let the system take him down again. With the grace of God, we’ll continue to fight off the temptation and walk the path of recovery. But it shouldn’t be this hard. It shouldn’t feel like the system is working against us, making rehabilitation an almost impossible task.

Stopping recidivism isn’t just about fixing the inmates; it’s about fixing the system. When staff are bringing in drugs and undermining the very principles of rehabilitation, how can we expect our loved ones to succeed? My husband fights every day, with God’s help, and with my love and support. But we need the system to do its part too. The path to recovery shouldn’t be a constant battle against the very place that’s supposed to help them heal.

Micah 6:8 (NIV): “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV): “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

#PrisonReform #EndRecidivism #InmateAdvocacy #EppersonEmpowerment #AccountabilityNow #StopTheCycle #PrisonWifeJourney #EndMassIncarceration #JusticeAndRehabilitation #AddictionRecovery

https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wfs2.1473

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