ugh. i barely want to respond to this, but “deserve” in this context is wild. substance abuse is a medical condition, not a moral failing. its disproportionately affects people who are poor, mentally ill, or otherwise disadvantaged, and many unhoused people start doing drugs while on the street, because if fucking sucks to be living on the street.

the actual utility of “locking people up” as a response to drug abuse is not positive. prisons are miserable places, and people often aren’t given the kind of care they need to get clean and stay clean, and relapse when they get out, because their circumstances haven’t improved. as it turns out, locking people in a cage for years does little to address the underlying issues that cause substance abuse. nobody “deserves” prison. its ineffective generally, and particularly ineffective at actually getting people off of drugs. all it does is punish people who are suffering.