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Marilyn L.
I am a 54-year-old women
now, and I wish Prop 36
would have happened in the
60's. I started using drugs
in 1966 and used herion
for 38 years of my life.
I was a thief for 26 of
those years. I went to Youth
Authority seven times, Federal
Prison three times and State
Prison nine times.
I was headed back to prison
with seven years in 2001,
before Prop 36 was to go
in to effect, I believe,
in July. Well, I sat in
jail until July and, even
though the judge did not
want to give it to me, I
qualified for Prop. 36 and
he had to give it to me
under the law.
So that was my second chance
at life and I took that
opportunity and ran with
it. I went into a residential
program and graduated. From
there, I went to school
for Human Services and worked
in that same program as
a weekend manager. When
I left that program four
years later, I left as their
Assistant to the Director
with a Certificate in Human
Services and Chemical Dependency
as well as my CAADE certification.
Now I am a Prop 36 counselor
and I owe it all God and
Prop 36. I now know there
is life without drugs that
is something I never imagined.
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