ACLU Smart Justice Campaign Manager Kristie Puckett Williams calls Merriweather a trailblazer. This is the evolution where the criminal legal system needs to move towards, she said. We re moving towards the right way to treat the problem. This is not just a fiscally responsible thing to do, it s a morally responsible thing to do.
Puckett Williams knows what it s like to sit in jail on drug charges, waiting for her day in court, while battling addiction. I was given an opportunity at recovery and will celebrate 12 years in May, she said. You don t get to almost 12 years clean from a crack-cocaine addiction by being locked up. That doesn t happen by being locked up. That happens by getting what you need.