This is a deeply personal plea. My girlfriend, an opiate addict, was trying to help another suffering individual. One day, she found herself in a situation where she passed something to her friend after the friend called her in physical withdrawal.  That person shared it with someone else who tragically died the following day.

 Despite the fact that my girlfriend & her friend were just trying to help someone not be in physical withdrawal while they were getting themselves out of it as well, they are now facing 20-40 years of imprisonment due to Indiana's current law structure.

These laws are known as "Drug Induced Homicide" laws or "Dealing Resulting in Death" laws and they exist not just in Indiana but across the United States. They are supposed to target drug dealers but instead they often ensnare individuals like my girlfriend - people struggling with addiction themselves who are not dealing drugs for profit but sharing them within their network of fellow users.

Opiate addicts do this on a regular basis because they are used to looking out for eachother. None of them wish physical withdrawal on anyone and will go out of their way to help. 

According to data from Health Affairs (2017), these laws have done little to curb overdose deaths; instead they have resulted in long prison sentences for individuals caught up in the cycle of addiction. In essence, one overdose results in not just one loss of life but two – that of the person who overdosed and that of the person charged under these punitive laws.

We need reform now more than ever because these laws do nothing more than perpetuate a cycle of punishment without addressing root causes or providing solutions for those struggling with addiction. We must challenge Indiana's Dealing Resulting Death Law and all Drug Induced Homicide Laws across our nation so that we can focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution for addicted people. Also to ensure that if we must place blame, we go after those truly responsible & not those who had just as much of a chance of dying as the victim, especially when almost 100% of the time authorities cannot be sure exactly where the fatal dose came from. 

My girlfriend, Michelle, is the best person that I know. She has somehow kept a smile through most of this nearly two years ordeal, believing that putting her in this position was God's way of saving her life, but it's starting to take its toll.

She has been denied public funding for expert witnesses. She is basically fighting this all alone & she is terrified. She's been clean for nearly two years, has had a steady job since June of 2022 & has completely transformed her life.

Multiple people she's been incarcerated with in the pre-trial work release program have told me they believe she was put there to help them get through the toughest time of their lives. 

Her friend, Crystal, who was also charged, is a beautiful person & has had a substantial amount of clean time since all of this started. She has completely turned her life around and wants nothing more than to be the best mother and wife she can be to make up for all the time she lost in her addiction. 

In spite of all this, and in spite of the fact that neither of them have ever been a drug dealer, the state of Indiana seeks to take away the life that they have left.

Almost all of us know someone who suffers from substance use disorder and they almost all share or use with their friends on a regular basis. Help end this travesty now. Before it's your loved one who's remaining years are threatened just for doing something that they consider 'helping' or 'hanging out'. These laws make every addict a dealer.

 1 overdose = the end of 2 or more Innocent lives

Where is the justice in that? 

Please sign and share this petition if you believe that authorities should go after the people who are contaminating the supply rather than friends and acquaintances of the victims who are merely addicted themselves. 

Please show your support if you believe that our legal system should prioritize treatment over punishment for those battling addiction.

(Please leave a comment if you'd like to add your state's governor to the list of decision makers.)