US basketball player Jarred Shaw escaped execution in Indonesia, but his prison ordeal continues | Basketball

Jarred Shaw is in an Indonesian prison – but at least he is not at risk of execution, which seemed possible less than a year ago.

The 35-year-old American was a key member of the Prawira Bandung team that won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, the latest highlight of a fascinating professional career that has taken him to countries as varied as Tunisia, Lebanon, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Shaw did this despite having Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive tract. Like many people living with the disease, he discovered that cannabis helped relieve his often excruciating symptoms and he used the substance legally for medicinal purposes in Thailand, where he lived during the IBL off-season.

That was until he made what he called a “stupid mistake” and ordered a pack of 132 cannabis gummies delivered to his apartment complex in Indonesia – leading to his dramatic arrest in May 2025. He went from being a basketball star who had scored 1,000 points in three seasons in the country to being paraded in handcuffs and wearing an orange prison shirt in front of the media Indonesians.

Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Cannabis is classified alongside heroin and methamphetamine in Indonesia, despite its legalization for medical and recreational purposes in many parts of North America and Europe. This meant that Shaw could have faced the death penalty for possessing drugs worth just $400: the country carried out executions by firing squad for drug offenses as recently as 2016. Shaw never believed that his purchase of a relatively small quantity would quickly escalate into a life-or-death situation. Fortunately for Shaw, he was convicted of drug possession but cleared of trafficking by the presiding judge. The less serious charge meant he was not eligible for the death penalty. In December, he was sentenced to 26 months in prison, including time served, and fined $50,000.

“Looking back, it’s just a shitty situation,” Shaw told the Guardian by telephone from his prison in West Jakarta. “I wish I could go back and change my actions, but it was definitely a relief to know that I wasn’t sentenced to death. »

Not that Shaw is safe. He was first held in an overcrowded prison where a fire in 2021 killed more than 40 inmates and injured several dozen others. But thanks to the help of the American embassy, ​​Shaw was transferred to another prison where his conditions improved. He now shares a cell with four other people, compared to a dozen before. Her conditions, however, are far from comfortable: lack of access to healthy food exacerbates her Crohn’s symptoms.

“Food is a really big deal for me,” he says. “I have to eat pretty much cleanly with my Crohn’s disease, but [the food’s] not in good health. Shaw’s stomach is often upset and acidic from the fried foods provided by the prison, which he cannot afford to completely avoid by ordering healthier options from outside. Some days he suffers from severe pain, nausea and vomiting, which also affects his anxiety and depression. “Obviously, some days are better than others,” he said. “I get a little depressed sometimes. I just try not to even think about it.

In November, after six months in prison, Shaw was evaluated by a doctor who concluded he had abdominal pain, had mild anemia and tested positive for E coli infection, which can cause diarrhea, bleeding and fever. The doctor also noted that Shaw had previously been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease.

“When I was arrested, I weighed 245 pounds,” says Shaw, who is 6 feet 11 inches tall. “I’m down to 210 pounds now and it’s worrying. The proper nutrition isn’t there.”

Nearly four months later, Shaw is still awaiting admission to the hospital for the three days of tests – including a colonoscopy and intestinal ultrasound – recommended by the doctor.

“We try to make them understand,” he said. “Even though there is no cure for [Crohn’s]you need to treat it, otherwise it could get worse. I hope someone with higher power can at least help me get to the hospital.

People with Crohn’s disease live with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, and Shaw worries the ulcers around her colon will get worse. “I don’t know what cancer looks like,” he says. “I hope and pray that’s not the case.”

The irony of Shaw being imprisoned for seeking access to the only medicine that alleviated his condition is not lost on him. “Cannabis helps me tremendously with aches, pain and appetite, and helps me not feel depressed,” he says. “It’s that it’s looked down upon as if it’s something bad. I just try to stay positive.”

To do this, the Texan trains in the prison gymnasium and plays tennis at a slow pace when his stomach is sufficiently calmed. He is writing a book about his story. “I just keep my mind busy and pretty much stay isolated,” he says. “I’m not really here to make friends or anything like that, so I just kind of keep to myself and the days go by.”

His legal team is asking the Indonesian Minister of Health to consider release on compassionate grounds, particularly given his cooperation in court and lack of criminal history.

“I have a real illness, with evidence from specialists,” Shaw says. “I hope this can reach the right people.” When asked if he hopes to continue his basketball career, he replies: “Once I get my health back, I will think about it.”