As someone who was once married to an alcoholic, here's one thing I learned - sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. In trying to be "compassionate", the system might be enabling Fairley, not actually helping her. It's only when an addict hits bottom that they will be motivated to change. Unfortunately, for some addicts, bottom is a long way down, and others never reach it.

I feel sad for Fairley but at the same time - the people she is stealing from pay taxes that subsidize her. Who pays for her food stamps, her public housing, her daughter's public school and her drug treatment programs? Taxpayers are funding all of that.

Note that Fairley never takes responsibility for her actions. She always has an excuse. And she's apparently taught that to her daughter. Now an elderly lady has to undertake breaking that child of the bad habits her mother taught her.

That to me is the greatest tragedy, that a little girl was brought into the world and was not given the life she deserved because her mother was an addict and a thief. I hope the child's life turns out better. Honestly, as harsh as it may seem, unless Fairley genuinely makes deep changes to her life, that child is much better off without her mother. Hopefully the child can go on to live a good life and not a dysfunctional mess.