Montgomery Gets Five Years For Heroin
Posted on 13 Oct 2008
Ex-track star won Olympic gold in 2000, then had medal stripped later
Montgomery, 33, will serve the five-year sentence after he completes a 46-month prison term for an unrelated conviction in New York.
Under an agreement with the government, he pleaded guilty in July to possession and distribution of more than 100 grams of heroin. He received the minimum term under federal sentencing guidelines.
A prosecutor described Montgomery’s athletic skills as “super-human,” but said he had squandered his talent and the acclaim and the money that came with it. Montgomery won an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter relay at the 2000 games and a silver in the same event four years earlier. A doping scandal wiped his achievements from the books.
In a nearly empty courtroom, Montgomery accepted his sentence accompanied only by his lawyer, James Broccoletti. His parents and siblings traveled in a van from South Carolina for the sentencing, but did not arrive before the 20-minute hearing ended, Broccoletti said.
“What we find here is someone who has wrecked his life,” the prosecutor, Eric M. Hurt, told the court.
He noted that Montgomery’s heroin arrest came as he awaited sentencing on a check-kiting scheme that ultimately sent him to prison.
“He has chosen to ignore every benefit given to him,” Hurt said.
Montgomery, hands clasped behind his back, softly addressed Friedman.
“I just want to say I’ve very sorry for what I’ve done,” he told the judge. “I’m sorry to my community and my family.”
Friedman ordered five years of supervised release and drug testing after Montgomery serves his heroin sentence. He also called Montgomery “totally irresponsible” for fathering four children with four different women, including fellow disgraced Olympian Marion Jones.
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Montgomery’s heroin prosecution is based on four drug sales he made in 2007 and 2008 in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. A Drug Enforcement Agency informant made buys that were either electronically videotaped, tape-recorded or witnessed by agents, according to court records.
Montgomery’s Olympic medals and his world-record 9.78-second performance in the 100-meter dash were wiped clean after he was linked to the investigation of BALCO, the West Coast lab at the center of the steroid scandal in sports. He also was banned from track for two years.
While he never tested positive for drugs, he retired in December 2005 after the ban was imposed.
Last year, he admitted helping his former coach, Olympic champion Steve Riddick, and others cash $1.7 million in stolen and counterfeit checks.
Riddick is serving a five-year prison term. Montgomery’s former companion, Jones, served a six-month prison sentence for lying to investigators about the check-fraud scam and using steroids.
Judge orders Redmond O'Neal into detox
Posted on 13 Oct 2008
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Oct 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A judge has ordered the 23-year-old son of actor Ryan O'Neal back to rehab weeks after he and his father were arrested on suspicion of drug possession.
Redmond O'Neal appeared in a Malibu courtroom Wednesday on a probation violation for a previous drug conviction.
Judge Scott Millington ordered O'Neal into a two-week detox program after he admitted he had relapsed, court records show.
He was sentenced to three years' probation in June after pleading guilty to heroin and methamphetamine possession.
Neither O'Neal nor his father have been charged after being arrested Sept. 17 on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Deputies searched the O'Neals' home in Malibu as part of Redmond's probation and found drugs on him and in Ryan O'Neal's living area.
Ryan O'Neal's attorney has denied that any of the drugs belonged to the actor.
Ryan O'Neal, 67, was nominated for a best actor Oscar for "Love Story." Redmond is his son from a relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett.
Cocaine Addicts' Brains Reveal Predisposition to Abuse
Posted on 13 Oct 2008
October 10, 2008
Research Summary
A brain imaging study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital revealed that abnormalities appearing in the cerebral cortex of cocaine addicts correlate with dysfunction in regions of the brain responsible for attention and reward-based decision-making.
While some of these abnormalities may reflect a predisposition to drug use, others may result from long-term cocaine exposure. "These data point to a mixture of both drug effects and predisposition underlying the structural alterations we observed," said Hans Breiter principal investigator of the Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood Disorder.
Magnetic resonance imaging studies of 20 cocaine addicts and 20 control participants were used to determine variations in cortical thickness. Compared to the healthy controls, the cocaine addicts had significantly less overall cortical volume. The difference was markedly apparent in areas that control reward functioning and decision-making. In addition, typical differences in thickness in the frontal regions of the cortex was reversed for the addicts compared to non-addicts.
"The severity of these cortical alterations point to the potential importance of prevention efforts to keep susceptible individuals from beginning to use cocaine," Breiter said. He suggested that further large-scale testing of individuals with different addictions is needed "to see if these findings are limited to cocaine users."
The report appears in the Oct. 9, 2008 issue of the journal Neuron.
New Book Looks At First Year of Recovery
Posted on 13 Oct 2008
October 9, 2008
News Summary
Addiction treatment and recovery advocate William Cope Moyers has written a new book titled "A New Day, a New Life: A Guided Journal" that explores the rewards and challenges of the first year of addiction recovery, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel reported Oct. 6.
"Treatment is where the journey starts," Moyers said, but the road to successful recovery "requires daily commitment and effort."
In the book Moyers discusses different approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. Writing about addiction science, Moyers noted that for 10 percent of the population drugs or alcohol "turns a switch on in your head that you can't turn off." The book also talks about the 12-step approach to recovery and the work done by Alcoholics Anonymous.
This is the second book for the author, the son of television journalist Bill Moyers. It follows his 2004 memoir, "Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption." Moyers is currently an executive at Hazelden's Center for Public Advocacy.
"A New Day, a New Life: A Guided Journal" is published by Hazelden Publishing.
Types of Treatment
Posted on 03 Oct 2008
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment centers are in a secluded setting and provide nonstop daily care. They are commonly therapeutic communities which have a planned length of stay between 30 to 90 days. Their primary focus is on the rehabilitation of the individual and most of them use the facility's entire community, such as the residents and the facilities staff. Residential treatment develops personal accountability, responsibility and socially productive lives. Recent research has indicated that the most beneficial length of stay for people in drug rehab is 90 days. Our professionals can help you locate the most appropriate drug rehab for you loved one.
Short term residential treatment facilities provide intensive but relatively brief residential treatment. Most short term residential treatment facilities consist of a 3 to 6 week inpatient treatment phase followed by a lengthy outpatient therapy and participation in self help groups.
Residential treatment is usually offered in a safe, empowering setting that gives dignity and respect to the patient, while challenging them in the first steps toward recovering from their addictions. Patients will receive intensive treatment, including education, counseling, goal based treatment, and relapse prevention groups.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient drug rehabilitation is a lower intensity and more cost effective alternative to the long term residency programs. They are complete, varied, and highly specific programs created to address drug addiction problems of individuals while remaining in their homes. They are based more on education than therapy. Outpatient drug rehabilitation is recommended for those individuals who need a support system. Outpatient drug rehabilitation is usually split into outpatient individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy. Outpatient programs include problem-solving, insight oriented psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step programs, and other various types of therapy.
Outpatient drug rehabilitation team will usually contain psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, social workers and lawyers. The assistance of family and friends will greatly accelerate the recovery process. Treatment for teenagers always requires parental involvement. Outpatient drug rehabilitation will teach the family how to create a better home environment for a more successful recovery. In addition to being present for class at a facility, patients are usually required to attend 12 step meetings and case management conferences.
The 12 Step Method
The 12 step method is composed of guiding rules for recovery from either addictive or behavioral issues. It was developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and is a tried and tested method for long term alcoholism and drug addiction recovery. It is an effective yet simplistic treatment that uses 12 steps for living life in an easier and more rewarding way. The main principle of the program is letting go of the past and dealing with problems as they arise and being aware of the positive success achieved each day.
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