Facing drug charges can be an overwhelming experience that makes you fear for your future, but it isn’t the end of the world. There are many ways to rebuild and recover once it’s all said and done. Here are some effective ways to cope with your situation.
1. Hire an attorney
The first thing you need to do is get a lawyer. You don’t want to face drug charges alone for many reasons, the biggest reason being that you won’t stand a chance at getting your charges dropped or reduced, or receiving a lesser sentence. While these benefits aren’t guaranteed, skilled lawyers often get better deals for their clients compared to their original charges.
Another good reason to have a lawyer is for reassurance around your possible sentence. Having to go through the court system without knowing what your consequences will be can be intimidating, but having a lawyer will make it easier. Nobody will know your exact sentence until it’s delivered, but a good criminal defense attorney can use their expertise and experience to give you a general idea of what to expect. This alone can bring you more peace than you may realize.
For example, in Tennessee, simple possession is a Class A misdemeanor that carries up to one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines. If you don’t know this, you might let your mind run wild, thinking you’re going to spend years in prison. A knowledgeable lawyer will explain the potential consequences and ease your anxiety and stress from overthinking.
2. There’s a chance you might get sentenced to drug rehab
Not every individual who faces drug charges gets sentenced to prison. Sometimes judges place defendants into a mandatory treatment program. According to the research, court-ordered treatment programs are far more effective than sending someone to prison. This makes sense, given the chaotic and unsupportive nature of prison life.
Drug rehab programs exist solely to help people recover, and have the staff and resources required to help them achieve a successful recovery. Compared to a prison sentence, where people usually just return to their old habits, a drug rehab program will assist you in detoxing, eliminate or reduce the desire for drugs, and help you create new, healthy habits. The level of support compared to prison can’t compare.
3. There are programs to help when you leave prison
If you get sentenced to time in prison, you probably won’t get much, if any, drug rehab care while you’re incarcerated. It’s a sad truth, but prisons aren’t set up to be rehab centers. Anything they offer is minimal at best, which means you might still be struggling when you get out. However, there are programs you can lean on after you get out of prison that will help you get your life back together.
4. Employment discrimination is illegal
With limited exceptions, employers can’t discriminate against applicants solely based on their criminal history. If you have a drug conviction on your record, your potential employers can’t use that to reject your application unless your conviction indicates you might put the business or its customers at risk.
In the case of a denial, if you suspect or know that you’ve been illegally rejected because of your criminal history, you can file a lawsuit against that business. It might be difficult to prove if you don’t have any evidence, but some people have had success. It would help your case if you were a highly qualified candidate because otherwise, a rejection might not actually be related to your drug conviction. A lawyer can help you sort this out if it happens to you.
5. Housing providers can’t discriminate
Landlords, including property management companies, can’t reject your application for housing just because you have a criminal conviction on your record. While there will always be some landlords and property managers who discriminate, the laws are making it harder for this to happen.
In recent years, courts across the U.S. have been taking swift action to stop rental housing companies from blanket banning tenants with a felony conviction. Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), landlords are prohibited from discriminating against tenants based on criminal history. However, you need to be aware that not all landlords are subject to the FHA. The best way to avoid this issue is to apply for federally subsidized housing, which is always subject to the FHA.
Be confident that you can rebuild your life
Although a drug conviction can be upsetting, there is life on the other side. The key is to get support and make the life changes required to heal.
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