Stephanie Brewer

Sentence: 7 years
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime
Priors: None
Year of sentencing: 2007
Year of birth: 1976
Projected release date: Sept. 18, 2012 

   Raised in Missouri, Stephanie was the youngest of five children raised solely by her mother, who worked several jobs to support the family. At the age of 11, after refusing to attend school, Stephanie was removed from her mother’s care and placed in a children’s home. When she was 13, Stephanie began drinking heavily and by the time she was 15 years old, Stephanie was living by herself and consuming at least a six-pack of beer per day. Stephanie’s alcoholism quickly led to a methamphetamine habit. Despite her addiction, Stephanie maintained steady employment. When her income wasn’t enough to support her rapidly escalating drug habit, Stephanie began selling meth.

   In February of 2003, a criminal informant (CI) who worked at a local motel
offered to rent Stephanie a motel room for half-price in exchange for drugs.  The CI contacted Stephanie and arranged to purchase a half gram of methamphetamine from her. On two other occasions, Stephanie sold a total of less than one gram of methamphetamine to the CI and another undercover agent. Several days later, police officers obtained a warrant and conducted a search of the motel room where Stephanie was staying. The officers found two pistols in a lockbox, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia in Stephanie’s room. 

   Stephanie was charged with possessing one of the pistols found in the
lockbox in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The gun was brand new and still in the case. She had purchased it several days earlier as a gift for her boyfriend but had not given it to him due to an argument they had earlier that day. Stephanie accepts full responsibility for selling drugs to finance her addiction. She says, “I’m guilty of doing and selling drugs. I never carried a gun on me, I had no reason to.” At the time of her arrest, Stephanie had been an addict for 15 years. 

  Stephanie pled guilty and was held accountable for less than four grams of actual methamphetamine. While out on bond, Stephanie entered a drug
treatment program, but began using drugs again in the outpatient stages of therapy. She failed to appear at a hearing and received a sentence enhancement for obstruction of justice but also received a departure for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in a guidelines range of 24 to 30 months.  The judge sentenced Stephanie to 24 months, the shortest possible time within the guidelines, plus a five-year mandatory sentence for the gun charge. 

  While incarcerated, Stephanie has earned her GED and is enrolled in a variety of educational and vocational courses. She works in the garage as a mechanic and attends church regularly. Stephanie has achieved sobriety in prison through prayer and determination and is committed to overcoming her drug addiction. However, she will not be able to participate in a drug treatment program until she is 36 months from being released. Stephanie writes, “I look back at so much of my life wasted and I worry I won’t get the help I need. I never want to go back to that lifestyle.”