Woman sent to prison for felony drug charges
After several chances to overcome addictions since her July 24, 2007, conviction on felony drug charges, time ran out for Nicole L. Abraham, 25. She was sent to prison Nov. 29 by Judge Benjamin Simpson for once again violating her probation.
Boundary County prosecutor Jack Douglas, recognizing that Abraham was unsuccessful in living up to the terms of her probation, recommended that she serve a fixed term of four years in prison on the original charges of distribution of a controlled substance to persons under the age of 18 and manufacture, delivery and possession of a controlled substance with a child present, and Judge Simpson concurred.
After pleading guilty, Abraham’s sentence was retained and she successfully completed a rider program through the Idaho Department of Corrections, and was placed on probation Dec. 18, 2008, but she was charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance Feb. 4, 2008.
Once again, jurisdiction was retained and she served a second rider, where she was again recommended for probation. She was released and placed on probation Apr. 26, 2010, having it transferred to Kootenai County so she could make a fresh start.
According to court records, she failed to meet several terms of her probation, including either working or going to school full time, getting treatment and reporting regularly to her probation officer, who reported that instead of making a fresh start, Nicole had again fallen in with a bad crowd.
She again tested positive for drugs, and she was charged with a final probation violation Aug. 10.
“I believe it was made abundantly clear that Abraham would not take probation or parole seriously, so the best option was to just go ahead and put her in the prison system,” Douglas said, noting that after recommending prison at previous hearings, her record was finally bad enough that the court agreed.
“Her defiance of society and the rules we all live by just cannot be tolerated,” he said. “Now she’ll have a chance to get treatment through the Department of Corrections and will be out of circulation for awhile, thus protecting the public.”
He also pointed out that, having now been sentenced to prison, it will be easier in the future to secure a similar sentence, as she’s shown that attempts to reform her life through probation and the retained jurisdiction program won’t work.
“Nicole Abraham is at a major crossroads in her life,” he said. “She alone will determine whether she comes out a better person determined to live within the law, or continues on the path of ruin.”