Internationally renowned track and field star Marion Jones was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment recently, for lying about her use of performance- enhancing drugs and involvement in a check fraud scam. The former winner of fi ve Olympic medals at the 2000 Summer Games—they have been stripped from her—was made an example of by U.S. district judge Kenneth Karas, who issued the maximum sentence recommended by the prosecuting attorneys. “Athletes in society have an elevated status,” said Karas. “They entertain, they inspire, and perhaps, most important, they serve as role models.”
Many might argue that Jones should have been treated like any other member of the public charged with a crime. Still, she isn’t your average person. Jones will now have the opportunity to educate young people on the consequences of deception not only on athletic endeavours, but in the greater scheme of life. One can only hope that she will take advantage of it.
There are more severe crimes that are not judged as harshly as the sentence given to Jones. But this should not serve as an excuse for her conduct or a reduced sentence, particularly when smaller penalties are caused by the internal defi ciencies of the criminal justice system. The judge’s role was to give her a sentence in light of all the evidence and circumstances of the case, plain and simple.
We must recognize that the law is adaptable to the circumstances of society. The media’s bombardment of athletes indulging in performance-enhancing drugs sensationalizes the issue without any significant steps taken to curtail it. Judge Karas has set a precedent that will hopefully discourage athletes from substance abuse and enforce scrutiny. While this may not lead to systemic overhauls of drug testing programs in sports, perhaps a trend of faster development of preventative measures will rise.
Jones will have a great deal of time in the coming months to recoup the broken pieces of her life. Though she may feel that this is the worst set of circumstances that could possibly occur, the athlete should thank her lucky stars that the illegal activities did not lead to more tragic consequences.
