Paul Coverdell: “I was encouraged to stop by a female youth detention center in the middle of my State. I really didn't expect that much…”

“I was encouraged to stop by a female youth detention center in the middle of my State. I really didn't expect that much from the meeting, but they gathered about 20 of the inmates. Their ages were 12 to 16. They were each given the assignment to tell about their own experience and what happened. As they walked--I was quite taken with the courage. It is not an easy thing. First all, the circumstances were pretty rough; and then they have to sit there and talk about it. But they did. They walked around the room. They were in the detention center for prostitution, assault and battery, attempted murder, car theft--and you name it--all related to an addiction to drugs. All of it. It was very moving, the damage and their realization of it. I asked them, in the meeting, if they could say whatever they wanted to say to the rest of the youth of the Nation, what would they say? Really quite remarkable. They all said essentially the same thing in different ways. They said, ``Don't use drugs. Do not believe you can control them''-- which is the point my colleague was making. ``The drugs will control you.…”