Among the horrible things that happen when someone is strung out on heroin is criminal activity. Remember, simple possession of the substance is a felony, something that seems to be lost on addicts who go to great lengths to score a hit. Unfortunately, that’s just the nature of the disease of heroin addiction.
Of course, not every crime involving heroin is a high-level felony. Crimes like DUI wouldn’t necessarily rise to that level of offense. For that reason, it doesn’t always make sense for a prosecutor to pursue charges that would put the user in jail. The jails would be greatly impacted if they put every person who committed a crime while under the influence behind bars. Sometimes, a better solution is warranted by maybe providing help instead of punishment.
Before setting forth with prosecution, some prosecutors will look at the circumstances of the crime under investigation. If there’s an indication that addiction might have played a role in the committing of the crime, they might be willing to consider an alternative solution to jail.
Keep in mind, most crimes involving an illicit drug like heroin would be beyond the possibility of alternative solutions. As a matter a fact, the only opiate classification that usually warrants this kind of consideration would be prescription painkillers where the culprit actually has a prescription from a doctor. Most other opiates are classified as illicit substances.
Will Heroin Treatment In Florida Keep Me Out of Jail?
As far as addressing the question posed in this writing, there are two ways getting heroin treatment from a Florida addiction treatment center can keep you out of jail. The first one involves the actual committing of a crime and conviction. Under these circumstances, a lot of discretion from the prosecutor and judge comes into play.
The second way treatment can keep you out of jail is by addressing the situation before you actually commit a crime. We might call that “preventative treatment.” Let’s move forward and discuss both of these situations in more depth.
Avoiding Jail After a Crime Has Been Committed
Once a crime has been committed involving heroin in any way, you must realize the charges are serious. In most cases, it would rise to the level of felony. With that said, the court system still has room to use discretion in sentencing. If you are found guilty of the crime, your conviction would call for some form of punishment. That’s were discretion comes into play.
As long as the crime committed does not carry a statutory sentence, the sentencing judge might opt for leniency. As part of their effort to show some level of sympathy for someone with an addiction, the sentence could include a stint in rehab. Officially, the judge could state that should you be able to successfully complete treatment and stay clean for a probationary period, no jail time would be added.
If the crime has not yet been resolved by a conviction, the judge could remand you to what is known as drug court. If the drug court judge is convinced addiction played a role in the committing of the crime, he might offer addiction treatment in a Florida rehab as an option before trial. Again, should you successfully complete the stint in rehab and stay clean, it’s possible the charges could be dismissed with no further ramifications.
Heroin Treatment to Prevent Crimes
For a moment, let’s set aside the fact you buying heroin is a felony. The fact you haven’t been caught should be viewed as a miracle. Instead of continuing to play “Russian Roulette” with your freedom, it might be a good idea for you to seek treatment for your addiction prior to the long arm of the law takes you down.
If you have never been there, you need to know that jail is an experience you can do without. The best way to assure you never end up in jail because of your heroin addiction is by getting treatment before it’s too late. You might want to consider the 30 days you will spend getting clean as your last line of defense before the hammer finally falls. That’s 30 days of detox and therapy to keep your record clean and your life normal.
If you are suffering from an addiction to heroin and don’t want to push the envelope and end up in jail, let us help you. Addiction treatment in a Florida treatment center might be all it takes to save your life. For more information, please call us at tel: 844-639-8371.