By SYDNEY KENT
A mother of a newborn will spend the next year in jail after she tested positive for drugs during her pregnancy. She was on probation at the time of the violation.
Riley Paige Schorey, 28, Bluffton, appeared in the Wells Circuit Court for the tear-filled hearing on Wednesday morning. In April of 2021, Schorey was sentenced to four years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for possession of a narcotic, a Level 5 felony.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the conviction stems from an incident in October 2020 at the Wells County Jail. A jail confinement officer reportedly spotted a small, clear plastic bag with white powder inside the cell where Schorey was sleeping. The substance later tested positive for fentanyl.
Schorey was incarcerated on drug-related charges at the time after she passed out in her vehicle at the Wabash Street Pak-A-Sak several months earlier. A deputy ordered a toxicology test when he noticed that she appeared lethargic. The results showed Schorey’s blood was positive for fentanyl, methadone, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and THC.
Multiple people petitioned the court for leniency and a chance at recovery at sentencing for Schorey.
In a letter dated Feb. 27, 2021, Schorey’s mother told the court that her past and present criminal history was due to the disease of addiction. She also stated that she and Schorey’s father were incarcerated at the time of her first offense — and many years after.
“Riley had little guidance and few positive role models to teach her life skills,” her mother wrote. “I know firsthand the great distance between self-hatred and forgiveness. Addressing the issues that create such strong addictive patterns is paramount to her recovery.”
The director for Kick the Addiction also wrote to the court to request that Schorey be placed at a recovery home in Indianapolis.
Finally, Schorey herself wrote a three-page letter to Judge Kenton Kiracofe begging for the court to “save her from herself” and to show mercy. She advised that she still had a chance to be a part of her son’s life at the time. Her son was not referenced in the hearing on Wednesday. Schorey also referred to her battle with addiction as “life or death” in the letter.
As a part of her original four-year sentence, Schorey was recommended for Purposeful Incarceration, a program that reduces an offender’s sentence upon completion of a substance abuse treatment program.
The program proved to be temporarily successful for Schorey. In October of 2022, her sentence was modified to suspend 563 days due to her progress. She was released and required to report to probation the following week.
Less than six months later in May 2023, a petition to revoke the modified sentence was filed due to a failed drug test. Schorey immediately placed herself into an intensive inpatient recovery program. She again wrote to Kiracofe to request that he recall the warrant as she sought help. The request was granted.
Approximately five months later, Schorey failed a drug screen again. She was in her third trimester of pregnancy at the time.
At a hearing to potentially revoke the suspended time last November, the judge, prosecutor, and public defender all emphasized concern for Schorey’s unborn child. Schorey’s public defender, Cory Spreen, requested home detention due to her high risk pregnancy.
“There are two people we’re dealing with here,” Prosecutor Colin Andrews said. “I ask the court to impose some of the strictest conditions it has in a case like this — simply because of the health risk to Miss Schorey and the child.”
Schorey covered her face and sobbed in her seat.
“Miss Schorey, look at me,” Kiracofe said firmly. “I am going to grant the request with certain conditions here. If I have to make sure this child is born without substances in their system, I will put you in jail and you will have the child in jail.”
Kiracofe informed Schorey that the Department of Child Services could remove the child from her care should they be born with drugs in their system. Kiracofe also emphasized that Vicki Kale with Wells County Probation “stuck her neck out” for Schorey.
Schorey was immediately released on home detention to complete her pregnancy outside of incarceration.
Several months later, a warrant for Schorey’s arrest was filed due to a failed drug screen, as well as failure to comply with Community Corrections.
During the hearing, Schorey claimed to have not known that she was using methamphetamine and that she had “gone out and got a pill” to deal with the pain.
“It wasn’t that I went out and used to get high,” Schorey said through tears. “I know it ultimately doesn’t matter. I was not breastfeeding my baby when that was happening though, I would never do that. I ask that you give me mercy because I want to be a mom again.”
Prosecutor Colin Andrews asked Kale a series of questions to confirm that she had expressed concerns with Suboxone in her infant’s system while breastfeeding. Kale confirmed.
“So — big concerns for her and the baby,” Andrews reiterated. “What can probation do for her now?”
Kale’s outlook was a stark contrast from Schorey’s previous hearing as she detailed the long list of inpatient and outpatient services that had been attempted throughout Schorey’s time in the criminal justice system.
“I feel like we have been through the gambit,” Kale stated. “I believe we have utilized the services we have available.”
Kale requested that Schorey not be placed on probation. With this, the state requested a period of incarceration.
“It is heartbreaking that we have to do these things,” Andrews said. “But I don’t know what else we can do. I will defer to the court as far as the length of the sentence.”
“I’m not sure what other options are left but to decide how much time Miss Schorey has left to serve before she tries to be a mom again,” Cory Spreen, Schorey’s public defender, said. “Although we’re here for the bad reasons, over the months I’ve been working with Riley she’s made substantial progress.”
“I’m sympathetic to the child you have,” Kiracofe said before he issued his ruling. “But it cuts both ways. I told you in November, you were using at that time and I was concerned about the health of this child. I can’t ignore you are on probation for possession of a narcotic, a level 5 felony.”
Kiracofe advised Schorey to take advantage of resources through the Department of Child Services following her release from incarceration.
“That child will need you when you get out,” Kiracofe concluded. “Hopefully you’re there for that child.”
sydney@news-banner.com
