Pubdate: Wed, 10 Sep 2008
Source: Allegan County News (MI)
Copyright: Allegan County News 2008
Contact:  http://www.allegannews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3675
Author: Rob Caswell Jr.

METH ADDICT GIVES ADVICE TO FELLOW ADDICTS FROM PRISON

To the editor: My son wrote the following letter in the  hopes of 
having it published in The Allegan County News  so people could read 
it and take his advice.

Cheryl Caswell

Otsego

Dear readers: My name is Rob Caswell Jr. I am currently  serving my 
second prison sentence due to my meth  addiction.

I want to take this time to apologize to my family,  friends and 
loved ones--especially to my son, Gage  Caswell. I love you, son.

I have been struggling with this addiction for about 11  years, minus 
the 40 months I served in prison the first  time.

I am writing this letter not only to apologize, but  also to try to 
encourage people with this addiction to  get help before it is too late.

I thought I had my addiction beat when I got out, got a  decent job 
working 40 to 50 hours a week, went to my  A.A. meetings and 
one-on-one counseling, reported to my  parole officer every month and 
stayed clean. I figured  I was over it.

Well, I wasn't. Once I finished my classes and  completed my parole, 
I slowly started to fall back into  it; before I knew it, I was once 
again in over my head.  Not even two years since I got out, I found 
myself  right back in prison. This time, I am serving an  eight-year sentence.

Prison is no place for rehabilitation. It is just as  easy, or maybe 
even easier, to feed your addiction in  here.

Although I don't take part in those activities in here,  there are 
many that do. In most cases, guys don't come  in with a drug habit; 
by the time they leave they are  addicted to some sort of drug.

There's an old saying, "Out by eight, with a spoon by  noon." So, 
even though you are incarcerated, that  doesn't mean you are being 
rehabilitated.

Basically, what I am trying to say to anyone with a  drug addiction 
is: get help before it's too late.

Being a drug addict, I understand the struggles you go  through 
everyday. If you face your addiction and deal  with the struggles out 
there--where you have support  from family and friends--you may not 
end up in prison  where the temptation and struggles are the same, if 
not  worse. You'll have nobody to really help you; even  worse, you 
may end up dead.

Since I didn't continue with my treatment, once again I  fell victim 
to my addiction. Once again, I am putting  my family and friends 
through unnecessary heartache and  pain. So please: Believe in the 
power of addiction and  get help before it is too late.

I would also like to thank my family for being there  for my son and 
I and showing the understanding and  support one needs to make it 
through the rough times.

Thank you,

Rob Caswell Jr.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart