For those of us who live in Mississippi, where End It For Good is based, several things are happening right now.

First, we now rank #1 in the country for the imprisonment of our citizens per capita. That’s staggering.

Second, the number of people imprisoned here on a non-violent drug charge has risen 20% in the last 6 months.

Third, as violent crime rises across the country, there’s a movement to revive “tough on crime” policies from previous decades.

Is that the right move?

I grew up on the west side of Jackson, Mississippi. Gunshots and police sirens were part of the evening sounds I listened to in bed almost every night.

When I was 9 years old, our neighbors were followed home and robbed at gunpoint in their driveway while I was sitting in our living room with the windows open less than 50 feet away. That triggered several years of severe anxiety for me. I was terrified to leave my house in case we were followed home. But I was terrified to be home because the robbery happened right there. I deeply understand the desire to be safe.

And yet.

Being “tough on crime” is no guarantee of increased safety.

Earlier this week one of the founders of the band Alabama was arrested for possession of marijuana. In the state of Alabama where he was caught, that’s a crime. We could say arresting Teddy Gentry is being tough on crime. But did it make anyone safer? Worse yet, it diverted law enforcement resources in a part of the country where 57% of violent crimes never have an arrest made.

Violent crime is a problem. A troublingly low arrest rate for violent crime is a problem. The diversion of resources to low-level offenses like marijuana possession is a problem.

Could we carefully and thoughtfully free up resources by shifting away from using the criminal justice system to police something like marijuana possession? Could wecarefully and thoughtfully use research to address violent crime?

If we let fear drive us, we’ll sweep millions of people into the criminal justice system for low-level charges like Teddy Gentry’s, and we’ll still have hundreds of thousands of victims of violent crime living without justice. 

Fear shuts down logic, critical thinking, and complex problem solving. We need all three of those to actually improve public safety.

But it’s not all heavy.

Two months ago I introduced you to Christi Berrong-Barber, our Volunteer of the Month. Through her work providing Narcan and health education with the Molly Angel Project, she’s had some other opportunities come along. She sent me this text:

“I was thinking about y’all this morning.  A family called for the Molly Angel Project, kid on drug court, they went on vacation and found fentanyl in his bags. So I went to court with them today and we got the judge to send him to rehab instead of jail.  He’s being transported today for a 90 day program.  And the judge asked me if he can share my card with other judges as a resource to figure out how to help more kids who are addicted. It was a small win, but still a win!”

Christi’s own son is serving time in a Mississippi prison for behavior stemming from his heroin addiction. She continued:

“I remember sitting in those court rooms terrified with no idea what to expect or say and I couldn’t let that family do it by themselves. Not when the mom was trying so hard to figure out how to help her son…I came home and almost cried I was so happy for them!” 

One person made herself available as an advocate. One judge was willing to try a different approach. One family was spared the devastation of incarceration.

It may seem like a small win, but it has the potential to impact generations in that family.

End It For Good’s work almost solely revolves around stopping harm before it happens. That’s what Christi was able to be part of, and now one more person got the opportunity to heal instead.

What role can you play in hope and healing? It may not be going to court, but all around us are hurting families who need support. Reach out to one today. Let them know you’rethinking of them and you support them in the valley they’re walking through.

Every one of us needs someone in our corner. Every one of us can be that someone.