The inspirational story of William Agius has touched the hearts of many. This is a man who in his youth walked on the wrong side of the tracks and got himself embroiled in drugs, so that last December he received a three-year sentence for a crime he committed 14 years ago.

The story garnered attention because it evoked a spectrum of sentiments that struggled to reconcile the necessity for justice to be served in a court of law with a rehabilitated offender who has since crossed to the other side of the tracks, turned his life around, and in the process served as a beacon of hope for those still shackled by drug addiction.

In my first parliamentary intervention of this year, I was compelled to, for the first time ever, talk publicly about drugs. Agius was my main source of inspiration. I visited him in prison over Christmas and felt the need to address this far-reaching and debilitating issue afflicting our society, which is irrevocably devastating the lives of our fellow friends and their families. As a society, we all stand to lose if we do not collectively address this societal malaise that permeates all strata, irrespective of creed and status.

During my speech, I called for effective correctional intervention for all criminal offenders whose actions are a direct consequence of drug addiction, and who would have demonstrated their willingness to be better versions of themselves, better citizens.

Looking from the outside in, it is very easy to condemn addicts, thinking of them as societal rejects that deserve to be locked away. However, if we allow ourselves to be emphatic, to walk in their shoes, we can capture the essence of a tortured soul grappling to loosen the tight noose around the neck while dangling in mid-air. As a drug addict poignantly and succinctly explained: “I feel condemned to a zombie existence.”

This does in no way mean that offenders should be exonerated of their actions because they were acting under the influence of illegal substances. The indefensible can never become defensible. Wrong can never be right. The point here is not whether one should atone for their mistakes – that is indisputable – but rather the manner in which that is to be achieved, as appropriate and proportionate to the gravity of the crime committed.

With this in mind, and without detracting from the gravity and severity of the consequences that offenders leave in their wake, we need to bear in mind that addicts are victims themselves. Irrespective of whether they are victims of circumstance or victims of choice, they need help and support to overcome their addiction.

The time is ripe to discuss rehabilitation, as opposed to imprisonment

What’s the gain to society when a convict is not fully rehabilitated and consequently fails to reintegrate into society, relapsing and ending up, once again, in the same prison cell? Shouldn’t we be investing in rehabilitation centres where offenders can serve out their sentence while getting the right treatment to kick their addiction and become productive members of society once they are free?

In the first instance, we need to focus on a more education-oriented approach to substance abuse prevention in schools, to cultivate the right behaviour and raise awareness on the harmful physical, social and psychological consequences of use, abuse and misuse of substances.

Agius wasn’t expecting preferential treatment. When questioned on Xarabank by Peppi Azzopardi on how he should pay for his mistake, he stated that he was willing to recount his story to young students twice a day for 10 years, so that they might witness, first-hand, the downsides of drug addiction. He aspired to continue his mission and act as a beacon of hope for others, who unlike him, are still slaves to drugs. There is little doubt in my mind that had such a sentence been handed down, it would have served both Agius, his family and society better.

The time is ripe to discuss rehabilitation, as opposed to imprisonment, on a national level and seek common ground for a lasting solution that addresses the core of the problem. In particular, Agius’s case should jump-start a review of the system, allowing the judiciary reasonable flexibility in handing down judgments.

I felt compelled to convey Agius’s thoughts to the House of Representatives and society at large. He made a choice to go public with his story, when he could have remained silent, remained anonymous. His courage to speak out gave many the opportunity to come to terms with their own addiction, empowering some to seek help.

It gave me the opportunity to better understand this reality and the duty to speak out in favour of reform, such that rehabilitation replaces imprisonment for cases involving former drug users who would have demonstrated a genuine willingness to be better citizens.

Inġ. Ryan Callus is a Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party.