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How to Give Up Giving Up – The Lexicon of success
When I was facing eighteen years in prison for a string of felonies long enough to make an organized crime boss proud, I made a decision that would alter the course of my life forever: I was going to change. It’s not that I had a problem making decisions for myself before that time. I…
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Global Commission on Drug Policy: Legalization, decriminalization, and the war on drugs
A commission made up of some big names, though not really any names of addiction or drug researchers I noticed, just released a report that’s making a lot of noise throughout every news channel including NPR (see here, and here for stories) and others (see CNN). They want the debate about the current state of…
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California prisoner release – Is Sheriff Baca’s fear justified?
The notion of releasing some 40,000 California prisoners to relieve overcrowding is milling around Sacramento and now, the Supreme Court. Okay, it’s more than a notion, it’s a law, but it’s being held up for the moment, so let’s see what happens. The prisoners being discussed would be the lowest risk inmates, and as you…
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Criminal health care – Why we should care.
For most people, the discussion of health care within the prison system is a philosophical one. Not for me. Inmate health care is a disgrace While in jail, I got to see the conditions firsthand. I saw the guy coughing his lungs out for days asking deputies to send him to the infirmary only to…
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Crystal meth and cocaine, Agassi and Gasquet- The reality of drug use in our society.
After Andre Agassi’s recent confessions in a tell-tale book about his use of crystal meth during his playing days, Richard Gasquet, who recently made it to the Wimbledon semifinals has just tested positive for cocaine. He says he was contaminated with the drug when he kissed a woman who was using it. Right. Unless the…
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California prison problems: Drug use policy gone awry
Originally posted on Takepart: I’ve been aware of the unjust nature of our prison system for a while, but a recent NPR story I heard in the car brought the issue front and center again. This piece is a combination summary and extension of that story. Did you know that the US makes up 5%…
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Beyond my addiction: Allowing myself to be proud of my achievements
This is a more personal post than I’m used to writing, but I think the thoughts in it are shared by many addicts, so I’d like to share it. I originally posted it on my personal blog: It’s sad, but for the most part, I focus on the things I haven’t yet done and not…
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About addiction: Jail, drug Czar, cravings, and modafinil
Check out these recent must-read posts about addiction (and our related posts on the bottom if you click the post title!!!): Addiction Inbox – Drug-addicts punished in NY Addiction Tomorrow – The new drug czar Breaking the cycles – Help with cravings Neurotopia – Modafinil Vs. Cocaine