From Vera Institute:
In 2018, Jemi Brown was pregnant, enduring an abusive relationship, and experiencing addiction and homelessness. She had lost custody of her first child due to a substance use disorder that had developed in the aftermath of a high school injury. After six surgeries over eight years on a badly broken leg, she had been prescribed copious amounts of painkillers. “My body was telling me I needed this drug,” she said. “When the doctors stopped prescribing it, I went and found my fix elsewhere.”
At a low moment, Brown was arrested and faced felony drug charges that could have sent her to prison for years. She reasonably feared a long sentence and prolonged separation from her children in her home state, which at times has incarcerated women at a higher rate than any other place in the country. “It was Oklahoma, and no one likes women who are using,” she said. “They were going to throw the book at me.”
Harsh punishment was familiar to her. “I had already punished myself more than anyone ever could punish me,” she said. “I think that is why I stayed in my abusive relationship. I thought I deserved it. This was where my choices had led.” Continue reading
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