Introduce yourself

Hi everyone! My name is D'Anne. I live in Perdido, FL, while my son is incarcerated at FCI Atlanta-Low. Addictions have plagued my family bloodline for centuries, and I was no exception. I became addicted to alcohol but found an excellent recovery option that works well for me.

I thought I had my life under control; at least everything on the surface seemed fine. Hidden behind the 'seeming,' my son (17 at the time) was at the beginning of a long journey to eventual fentanyl addiction. It started with a prescription for oxycontin for painful kidney stones.

At age 29, he was incarcerated under the "Drug-Induced Homicide' (DIH) laws with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He had shared fentanyl with a friend who was also a fentanyl addict, and his friend died. My son was charged with 'homicide by fentanyl.'

His case involved prosecutorial misconduct in the form of coercion of a guilty plea. The prosecutor indicted him on two additional charges in a separate case already solved. Now, my son was looking at 60 years vs. 20 years if he would plead guilty. After some research, we learned that 98% of drug cases are settled through plea deals, and the 2% that go to trial are won by the prosecutor 99% of the time. He had no choice but to plead guilty rather than risk two trials. If he lost, and the probability was very high he would, he would be sentenced to a minimum of 60 years.

My son has been incarcerated for 5 years, 3 months, and 13 days (so far).

I am currently finishing a book titled "The Criminalization of Addiction." In the book, I show, using medical evidence, that an addict cannot be a dealer in his drug of choice. This point is critical to a conviction under DIH laws; you must be a dealer. This was easily circumvented by the prosecutor with the forced plea deal.

I am so grateful to join all of you on this journey of advocating for prison reform! My heart is in this journey.

Hello everyone,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Linda, and I am thrilled to be joining Daniel on this incredible journey of advocating for prison reform and spreading awareness about the importance of mental health care and substance use treatment. Allow me to share a little bit about my own personal story.

For the majority of my adult life, I battled with addiction. It was a constant struggle that seemed to have an iron grip on my life. However, on July 2nd, 2017, everything changed. That night, in the midst of my darkest moments, a flicker of hope emerged. I stumbled upon a treatment facility commercial on TV, and it provided a lifeline – a phone number that could help me find the assistance I so desperately needed.

With tears streaming down my face, I dialed that number and was advised to seek help at a detox facility due to my alcohol addiction. Without hesitation, I made the decision to check myself in. Little did I know that this choice would be the hardest, yet most transformative decision of my life.

I spent close to two weeks in detox before being transferred to an inpatient facility. The journey was difficult, but it was there that I found the strength to overcome my addiction and begin the path to recovery. Upon completing the program, I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to give back and help others who were facing similar struggles.

That's when I started working at the very facility that had once helped me. I began as a monitor, then moved into the role of healthcare coordinator, and now I am proud to serve as a case manager. Every day, I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, just as others did for me.

And then, I met Daniel J. Simms. It was as if our paths were destined to cross. We shared a common vision for prison reform, mental health care, and substance use treatment. Our shared passion and determination led us to embark on this journey together, to amplify our voices and bring about meaningful change.

I am excited to be a part of this community and look forward to connecting with all of you. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter future for those who need it most.

Thank you for joining us on this remarkable adventure.

Warm regards,

Linda