My name is Kristine Velasquez. I come to you for help. I have two sons who are recovering addicts, that were both arrested last May and have been ever since. My younger son took a plea  thinking it would allow him to be accountable for his mistakes and was sentenced to the therapeutic program at Westville Correctional. He has been there going on 4 months and yet to see that program. He writes his counselor and has seem to got his attention by writing people above him but sits in general population. He is only 19 years old. The prosecutor and judge promised he would be placed in therapeutic but the plea he took is not even being honored. The La Porte County officials are trying to now publicly do a turn around in the news because of an election that it is fighting the heroin problem with these programs but they are not following thru. I next want to to tell you about my son Joseph who they allowed to bond out almost 6 months to work release while they come up with a good deal that will help him be rehabilitated. Since he has been there he has turned his life around, has a wife and a one year son who he solely provides for by working 12 hour days, he attends all the drug classes and has not even got so much as a parking ticket. I am very proud of him and fight for them to beat all this and get their lives back.  He received a letter yesterday saying they have not been able to come up with any better deal then they had before he bonded out and want him to abandon his family, great job and his progress of recovery to go to prison for YEARS. I write to you to have an ear to tell this too and also to help me. The courts are screaming rehabilate the addicts , stop this epidemic but they are only doing it on paper, they are going public they want to help this drug epidemic, speaking of the programs, but once they are off the docket, not following through or caring. This county is running an election May 6 th out here on a platform of these programs and stopping all the senseless overdoses.  I have my sons succeeding, wanting to change and they are not following through. I need help! I do not know what to do. I have fought for my son's because they are good people, who made mistakes and will make it, but throwing them in general population promising therapy, taking a successful recovering addict away from his family, while the one son I have there has not even seen it, they now want my second son who is doing great go join him for an imaginary idea of therapy.  We have had too many overdoses in our town, the last one being this past Friday of their childhood friends, and I am first to say no one is helping these kids. My sons truly hurt for their mistakes and can make it but they are owned by what the lawmakers dictate how their life's should play out.  If these programs were set in place to help the addicts why are we just sentencing to prison and not allowing them to follow through. Please, my son Joseph Ukonga has made progress, is in recovery, contributing to society, solely supporting his young family, don't take him out of the program he is succeeding in to put him in prison. My son's are good people and have a strong support system and a family that will be with them every step of the way. As the judge said in my son's hearing "Joseph, you are not a criminal, you are an addict", as well as the current prosecutor when he was Joseph's lawyer, then help my son continue to recover and be productive in his life. Please support this, this could be anyone's children, I want change to come and that can only happen if they follow through on promises of rehabilation. If the program is working for my son, why take him out of it, but publicly support these programs. Please, the way it is currently being done in the county is not working, please be part of the solution. My son is doing well and should not be thrown away. Thank you, I would love to hear back from you.