Drug crisis…

Dear Editor,

I am writing about the vicious drug crisis that continues in Bonner County.

There are several locals, under the age of 25, sitting in Bonner County jail for recurring drug offenses. One person is jailed now, for violating felony probation for the second time, with a criminal record in both Bonner and Kootenai county’s beginning in 2007, and two felony drug convictions (2011 and 2013).

After previous conviction, sentenced to another ‘rider,’ a period of time of confinement or treatment, failing to maintain the program rules was returned to treatment for another 4 months. Released in December 2014, fraudulently applied for, and provided food stamps and Medicaid. Visiting a local physician who prescribed a substitute for heroin, a legal way to get high, (after several months of sobriety in a treatment program)! Now reports for random drug testing, paid for by a grant, using the prescription (even shooting the drugs intravenously), filling the heroin substitute prescription using Medicaid at local pharmacies where needles are available. Over the summer using meth. Now just months after release fails to comply with probation and is jailed for those two felonies, again. Back to court last week; one felony is reduced, and this criminal is left to possibly, finally serve time for one reduced felony.

The system is failing miserably. These drug addicts need to be treated as criminals and imprisoned. Bonner County continues to allow these people to ruin the lives of their families, all at the cost of the tax payer.

Melinda Pelton
Sandpoint