By the time Sarah was addicted to crack cocaine she was already married and a mother of 4, one boy and three girls. Her son was 8 years old and the girls were ages 6, 5, and 3 years old. Her husband was not nor ever was a drug user. He loved her and their children dearly and was trying anything and everything to get Sarah the help that she needed, but at the time Sarah had no interest in receiving any kind of help even after she found out she was pregnant again. Sarah didn’t believe she had a problem at the time, however she admitted using the drug multiple times during her pregnancy.
Sarah delivered her baby boy in January of 1993. Sarah stated that she tried quitting the drug during her pregnancy and also after she had her baby but struggled, meanwhile her husband was also struggling trying to work and take care of 5 children now. Sarah also stated that on a number of occasions she wouldn’t come home because she was at the “crack house” with her friends. It got to the point where her husband wouldn’t give her any more money because he knew what she was going to do with it. When Sarah’s funds were cut off she started stealing to support her habit. Sarah admitted to steeling from grocery stores, department stores and even family members including her own husband, she also admitted to prostituting herself for money and/or drugs. This resulted to her being arrested multiple times between 1994 and 1997. In this time frame she also had 2 more children, both boys one born in 1995 and the other 1997. This