Prisoner #70863
By BRIAN LISKAI
Gazette Editor
news.gazettepublishingco.com
Anna Robertson speaks in a quiet, calm voice... she has shed the demons in her life. There's a peace about her...she is comfortable in her own skin.
It wasn't always like that for the 28-year-old Bellevue woman. She got hooked on heroin, then sold the drug to support her habit, got arrested and spent time in prison. It was behind bars Robertson started writing poetry and her life began to change.
Her writings will be published soon in the 101-page book "Freedom #70863 - From Gutter to Glory." What does the #70863 stand for? It was Anna's prison number.
The book is scheduled for a release date of Jan. 6, and will cost $14.95. Those interested in ordering can go to www.publishamerica.net and type in Anna Robertson in the search field.
"This book is a collection of my life... it's very graphic and very real. Sharing the truth of my life is one of the ways I can hope to help others. It is a divine plan that we learn from each other by our own mistakes," Robinson said while relaxing on her parents' couch.
Born in Sandusky, Robertson graduated from EHOVE Career Center in 2000. Soon after, her life started its downward spiral. She said her addiction to heroin began when she and her then boyfriend were introduced to the drug by his stepbrother who was visiting from Cleveland. She said the beginning of her heroin use was just on the weekends, but escalated to everyday.
Robertson, who would have a son with her boyfriend, said the drug was costing her about $1,000 every two days. She then began selling the drug for the money to supply her own fix.
"I was a slave to heroin. It took everything from me. As my addiction got bigger my body began to feel sicker... I had to have more," said Robertson, who added she was hooked on the drug for five years. "I would try to leave, but would eventually come back and the addiction would start all over."
In her book, the first chapter is about her addiction and she said it is very graphic. Robertson notes in the book: "Then I was introduced to the needle; you see putting it in my arm took the pain from me. I then began to realize my fate, but by this time it was already too late. This was my life, day and night, worrying about the next fix, waking me in fright. This addiction had a hold on me. It took my freedom, and family. I never thought I would be in so deep...with a fix I could get some sleep. This addiction is so unreal. It will make you numb so you cannot feel."
Dealing in heroin eventually led to Anna's arrest.
"The Bellevue Police Department had an undercover person that bought from me. That led to an indictment in 2007. I was charged with seven felony three counts of selling heroin," said Robertson.
Robertson was sentenced to two and half years in prison in both Sandusky and Huron counties. She did catch a break when the judge imposed the sentences to run concurrently.
"I was grateful it happened...it saved my life," Robertson said.
Robertson said while she awaited her prison time, she began "weaning" herself off of heroin.
"You can get very sick when you take the drug away. I knew what was coming so I started to wean myself off," said Robertson.
Robertson spent two months in the women's prison in Marysville, Ohio. She was then sent to a minimum security prison on Cleveland for over a year.
"There's a chapter in the book about my time in prison...it's very, very graphic. Jail was very scary...there's a lot of scary things that go on there," said Robertson.
Anna was then sent to the Crosswaeh in Tiffin for treatment for four months. This was when she finally was able to see her family and her son again.
"I went a year and half with little to no contact with my family...that was excruciating. But my four months at Crosswaeh were wonderful...it's an excellent program.
Anna is staying with her parents, Pat and Brenda Robertson, and her son, who is now seven. She is still on judicial release, but is beginning to put her life back together. She holds a job at an area hotel and other than spending time with her family, has worked on her book.
"It's the journalization of my life. Writing it helped me find out a lot about myself... my past hurts, pains and memories. I hope to show people that you can overcome this type of addiction and how beautiful it can be to turn something like this misery into something constructive," said Robertson.
If area residents don't think heroin use is a problem in a small town like Bellevue, Robertson says they should think again.
"When I was in prison you would be surprised at the number of women who were there for drugs that were from Norwalk, Willard... the whole area," she said.
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