Andrea Asch -- #06162-091

10 years -- Drug Conspiracy

February 7, 2007

I was just reading my story on The WALL. I am happy to tell you that I am out!!!

Have been out for almost a year. What a wonderful year it has been. I am now working in a womens substance abuse treatment center, getting my clinical hours in order to become a substance abuse counselor.

My hopes and dreams are to help these women find recovery so that they are hopefully never torn away from their children and tossed in prison for years, decades, life. Keep up the good work.

If there is anything that I can do to help let me know. I can NEVER forget those that I left behind.

Andrea Asch

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I am currently incarcerated in federal prison. I received a 10-year sentence for conspiracy to possess and intent to distribute. The only evidence against me was hearsay.

On February 19, l998 my home was searched, but the search did not turn up any drugs. My three small children and I were home when the police tore the place up. While officers searched my house two agents tried questioning me. They cursed and yelled, and put me in handcuffs when I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. The search warrant was obtained from testimony from a man who was facing an 85-year prison term. He told the police that I was his biggest customer and his sentence was reduced to 24 years.

After 97 days in county jail I was allowed to go to a 28-day in-patient, drug treatment and released on bond. While out on bond for 5 months, I did a lot of speaking in schools and in front of Wyoming state officials as a substance abuser.

My lawyer encouraged me to plead guilty. I'd never been in trouble before and thought that the judge would have some discretion in my sentencing. I took the stand and told the truth to Judge Downes. My husband and I were addicts and we bought some drugs for our use but never the amounts that were claimed by the snitch.

The snitch testified at my sentencing as well, but his testimony was not consistent with what he'd told officials earlier. These words against me gave him another 9 years plucked off of his sentence.

On the word of an informant, my four children, ages 13, 9, 4, and 2 are robbed of their mother for ten years.

What happened to our justice system? Addicts need treatment not incarceration. I found recovery on the outside and now sit on the inside behind the razor wire for 10 years.