Susan LeFevre was just 19 years old when she was arrested for selling heroin to an undercover cop. She pled guilty to the first-time offense, thinking the judge would be lenient. Instead, he gave her the maximum: 10 to 20 years in prison.
Unable to cope with prison life, Susan escaped over the fence. She changed her name to Marie and eventually married and had children—and, by all accounts, has lived a model life. But after 32 years of her great escape, Susan’s new life unraveled. A tipster told police where she was, and now she is back behind bars, awaiting extradition to Michigan on an escape warrant.
Susan LeFevre’s story puts a human face on why our nation is facing such a stark crisis in the prison system. As I pointed out recently on The Christian Post, America has more people locked up than any other country. Some 2.3 million people are behind bars.
But the lion’s share of what fuels this high number is driven by our drug laws, which sweep up many non-violent, low-level drug offenders—like Susan LeFevre. These offenders make up more than one-quarter of all prison inmates: some 530,000 people. Locking up all these people has led to massive prison overcrowding and out-of-control state budgets—so much so that states all over the country are considering releasing thousands of prisoners early, simply because they cannot afford to keep them in custody!
There are better ways to punish nonviolent drug offenders, which is why Prison Fellowship supports alternative sentencing, restitution, and rehabilitation for those addicted to drugs. And it is why we supported the recently passed Second Chance Act, which provides grants to government agencies and faith-based groups that help prisoners and ex-prisoners overcome their addictions and become productive members of society.
Ironically, it may take the plight of a fugitive mom to open the eyes of Americans to the need to reform our drug laws. Of course, we do not know all the details of Susan LeFevre’s case. Authorities in Michigan say, for instance, that she was a leader of a drug ring. And there is no doubt that escaping from prison is a serious offense.
But according to the San Diego Tribune, before throwing the book at LeFevre in 1975, the judge told her, “I just hope you do change your own life.”
Well, it seems that she did change her life. E. Brady Denton, the prosecutor at the time of Susan’s trial, recently told the San Diego Tribune that if he were the prosecutor now, he would not put her back in prison. He would sentence her under new Michigan guidelines, “which would factor in a prior record, the severity of the crime, and what she has done with her life.”
Denton said, “I’d give her probation and let her go back [to] be with her family in California.”
Micah 6:8 says that God has shown us what is good: to do justice and to love mercy. I hope that the authorities in Susan LeFevre’s case will show mercy as they uphold justice. And let us do what we can to ensure that all the less-famous, low-level drug offenders now in custody will receive not only the justice, but the mercy they deserve.
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From BreakPoint®, May 23, 2008, Copyright 2008, Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with the permission of Prison Fellowship Ministries. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or distributed without the express written permission of Prison Fellowship Ministries. “BreakPoint®” and “Prison Fellowship Ministries®” are registered trademarks of Prison Fellowship
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Why is it that you rarely see such sympathy when blacks have complained about this for many years? When a pretty white woman is caught in this NOW we decide that something must be done. This outpouring of sympathy smells to me. I have yet to see any of this sympathy towards non-violent black drug offenders. They have the sentiment of Brian, that is, they need to be under the jail. But this pretty white woman 'is the face' of what is wrong with our judicial system. I do not know if this has changed but the penalties for crack at one time were way higher than cocaine. Crack is a way cheaper drug and it appears that more blacks were put in prison for longer sentences because of this. Why would the laws be like that? Both of them are cocaine and should have had the same penalties.
I do not know the answer to this other than a heart change through Christ. People need the power of God to kick drug habits. Nothing else really seems to work on a permanent basis. There is punishment that needs to be executed. They do not need to be on the streets. But we cannot ignored the fact that the person is bound either. There has to be a balance. I feel this gal should have had some jail time but maybe not the maximum for a first offense.
The drug laws need to be looked at for sure. They need to be more fair, especially when it comes to making crack have a higher penalty than cocaine when they are both cocaine.
Here we go again, the push to release the ppl that peddle drugs to our children. Why not tell the story of the ruined lives heroin dealers feed off? Maybe a little compassion for them.
Jesus is the only way.
I whollly agree with Prison "Fellowship attitude. No violent drug offenders are unable to stop
wh at they are doing as there thinking is blocked by the chemicles. However, better rehab programs are needed as the ones that are now run by the state are nearly useless. Christian based program have the best chance of being successful because Nothing Is Impossible With God. Inner healings that only the Holy Spirit knows about to be necessary are effective as well ab counseling with the addicts family before return and rehab such as Teen Challenge has in that it happens away from the addicts ""HOme" envirenment can be best. The more they are sent to prison, the more difficult it is for them to reenter sociiety. If I knew what I could do as one person, I would begin to do it today.