<\/p>\n
By: Marty Strauss (’23)<\/p>\n
Substance use disorder is a widespread yet incredibly personal hardship. It affects countless people across the world, but in many different ways along lines such as race and class, and along varying bonds of family and friendship. Recovery, it follows, is also a deeply personal endeavor. But in prison, the state often seems more concerned with checking a box of \u201ctreatment\u201d than with making room for the personal nuances of real recovery.<\/p>\n
Rachel Schwarz and I saw this reticence up close in the case of a recent PLAP client who we\u2019ll call Logan (not their real name). Logan enrolled in a prison-sponsored class on recovery from addiction, to better themselves and as part of preparation for their eventual release. In the class, it seemed at first that Logan was encouraged to speak their mind. Class participation was, in fact, required.<\/p>\n
Logan was always respectful with their comments, especially if they disagreed with the teacher, making sure to preface critical comments by noting that they were not directed at the teacher personally. But being respectful does not ensure that everyone will appreciate a comment. When Logan, despite being sure to clarify that they meant no offense to the teacher, expressed an opinion that they might benefit from being taught by someone who had personally experienced addiction, the teacher felt uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
The story should have ended there. Some remarks are uncomfortable, especially when grappling with an issue as complex as substance use disorder. And in fact, the teacher continued with class, not chastising Logan for their remark nor bringing in a correctional officer to claim that there was a problem. After class, however, a correctional officer prevailed upon the teacher to write an incident report about Logan\u2019s remark. That incident report became the basis for a disciplinary report. Logan\u2019s expression of their opinion, in a class where participation was both required and encouraged, was distorted into an allegation of \u201cgrandstanding\u201d and \u201cmaking discrediting comments,\u201d amounting to \u201cinsolent language\u201d in the prison\u2019s view. With these disciplinary charges pending, Logan was also\u2014to their surprise\u2014removed from the class the next day.<\/p>\n
If these allegations sound full of hot air, they should. When Rachel and I asked for the rules and guidelines of the recovery class, so that we could see which rules Logan had allegedly broken, we were denied this request on the basis that such rules were \u201cnot relevant to the charges.\u201d Moreover, the teacher of the class did not agree to show up to the disciplinary hearing. In the end, fortunately, Rachel and I helped Logan win a not guilty finding on all the charges against them, and he avoided further penalties. Still, Logan was unable to complete this class and it remains to be seen if they will have the opportunity to rejoin an addiction class.<\/p>\n