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Jarred Shaw, a 35-year-old American basketball player who used to play for Oklahoma State and Utah State, remains locked up in an Indonesian prison, his health deteriorating as he desperately tries to return home to the United States.
Shaw was arrested in May 2025 after what he called a “stupid mistake” to The Guardian when he ordered a package of 132 cannabis gums for his apartment in Indonesia. He played basketball in the country but lived in Thailand, where cannabis is legal, during the Indonesian Basketball League’s offseason.
However, Indonesia remains an extremely strict country with its drug laws, with around 276,000 people imprisoned for a drug offence. And cannabis is considered the same as heroin and methamphetamine by the Indonesian government, regardless of its legal status in the United States and in many European countries.
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Jarred Shaw watches while handcuffed in Indonesia. (Vlasic Labs)
The reason Shaw ordered so many gummies was because he suffered from Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive tract. Cannabis has been known to alleviate severe symptoms of the disease, and he wanted to ensure it was legal to do so.
But when the package went to his apartment in Indonesia, where he became a basketball star after spending previous seasons in Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Japan, among others, Shaw was publicly shamed after his arrest. He was paraded in front of the Indonesian media wearing an orange prison shirt and even risked the death penalty.
“I wish I could go back and change my actions, but it was definitely a relief to know I didn’t get the death penalty,” he told The Guardian.
While he avoided the harsh death penalty, Shaw remains in what he told USA TODAY is a room “no bigger than a typical New York City studio apartment” with 11 other inmates.
“I can wake up at any time and be hospitalized,” Shaw told the paper, as Crohn’s disease can cause severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. “Some days are better than others. It’s not where it should be. I still feel sick quite often. I’m asking for sympathy and hopefully a miracle can happen.”
Shaw told the outlet that he has already lost 40 pounds from his 245-pound playing weight. People with Crohn’s are also at high risk of colon cancer.
Jarred Shaw gets out of a van while under arrest in Indonesia. (Vlasic Labs)
In November 2025, Shaw was evaluated by a doctor who found he was battling abdominal pain, mild anemia, and he tested positive for an E coli infection that caused diarrhea, bleeding and fever.
Shaw told The Guardian that he doesn’t get proper nutrition and the fried food he eats doesn’t go well with his Crohn’s.
Four months after the doctor’s diagnosis, Shaw still hasn’t received the colonoscopy, a bowel ultrasound and other tests the doctor recommended. It would require a minimum three-day hospital stay.
“We’re trying to get them to understand,” he said. “Although there is no cure [Crohn’s]you have to treat it or it can get worse. Hopefully someone with a higher power can at least help me get to the hospital.”
Shaw told USA TODAY that he understands he committed a crime and did not know what the laws were in Indonesia. But he feels that “the most important thing” is that he has not been in hospital to treat his illness, which was also brought up during the trial.
Utah State Aggies center Jarred Shaw (5) jumps for a rebound during an NCAA men’s basketball game against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Stephen R. Sylvania/USA TODAY Sports)
Shaw’s legal team is asking Indonesia’s health minister to consider a compassionate release, citing his cooperation in court and lack of a criminal record before his arrest.
The Foreign Office also commented on Shaw’s case.
“The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” a State Department spokesman told a source close to Shaw. “We take seriously our commitment to helping Americans abroad, and the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta is providing consular assistance to Jarred Shaw.”
The Vlasic Classic Foundation, which is committed to helping non-violent cannabis prisoners get out, partnered with Forgotten Prisoner in an effort to get Shaw back to the United States. With the help of the Forgotten Prisoner earlier, Shaw had his sentence reduced to 26 months in prison.
Utah State Aggies center Jarred Shaw (5) backs up Wyoming Cowboys guard Jerron Granberry (15) in the first half at Arena-Auditorium. (Troy Babbitt/USA TODAY Sports)
The Vlasic Classic Golf Tournament in Missouri in May will raise money to help Shaw get the necessary funds to get him back overseas. Shaw, a Dallas native, played college basketball for Oklahoma State and Utah State. The 6-foot-10 forward got more playing time with Utah State, averaging 28.3 minutes per game. match in 58 competitions.
During his time with the Aggies, Shaw averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
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