A long descent

The sad story of Donald Voorhis mirrors what many families are going through ...

"For seven or eight years, it's been going on long enough the system should have picked up on it by now," said [one relative]. A string of convictions in Anchorage and in Palmer courts trails Donald Voorhis, mostly misdemeanor offenses: driving on a suspended license, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, assault on a police officer. He was fined, sentenced to short jail terms and placed on probation. It was a long descent to his September arrest on more serious charges ...

"We let them run amok in life until they get to the point where we can incarcerate them. If that's the only choice we have in life, so be it," [another relative] said. "Hopefully this will get him some help."