"When Julian Saucier’s recreational drug use became an addiction, he didn’t know what to do.
Saucier had a loving and supportive family but was ashamed to tell them what he was going through and didn’t know where to get help.
Eventually Saucier’s addiction got worse and led to a federal drug conviction in 2006, for which he served five years in prison.
Like many with a substance use disorder, Saucier needed behavioral health help but was sent behind bars instead. Since the February state Supreme Court decision Blake v. Washington, which effectively decriminalized drug possession, the state now has an opportunity to shift its failed drug policies away from punishment and toward treatment."