American basketball player Jarred Shaw hopes for ‘miracle’ in Indonesian prison as health condition worsens

Jarred Shaw, a 35-year-old American basketball player who played for Oklahoma State and Utah State, is still in prison in Indonesia, and his life is 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, ordering a 132-pack of marijuana from his apartment in Indonesia.

He was playing basketball in the country but living in Thailand, where cannabis is legal, during the Indonesian Basketball League season.

However, Indonesia remains an extremely strict country with its drug laws, with around 276,000 people arrested for drug offences.

And marijuana is considered the same as heroin and methamphetamine by the Indonesian government, regardless of its legal status in the US and many European countries.

The reason Shaw ordered so many gums was due to his treatment of Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive tract.

Cannabis was known to relieve severe symptoms of the disease, and he would have legalized it to do so.

But when the package went to his house in Indonesia, where he became a basketball star after spending seasons in Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Japan, among other countries, Shaw was publicly humiliated following his arrest.

He was paraded in front of the Indonesian media wearing an orange prison shirt, until he faced the death penalty.

“I wish I could go back and change my behavior, but it was really liberating to know that I wasn’t getting the death penalty,” he told The Guardian.

Although he avoided the death penalty, Shaw still told USA TODAY that the cell was “no bigger than a typical New York City apartment” with 11 other inmates.

“I could wake up at any time and be hospitalized,” Shaw told the outlet, as Crohn’s disease can cause severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.

“Some days are better than others. It’s nowhere near as it should be. I still feel sick all the time. I’m asking for your sympathy, and I hope a miracle can happen.”

Shaw told the newspaper that he is already down 40 pounds from his playing weight of 245 pounds.

Also, people with Crohn’s have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

In November 2025, Shaw was examined by a doctor who diagnosed him with abdominal pain, mild anemia, and tested positive for E coli infection, which causes diarrhea, bleeding and fever.

Shaw told The Guardian that she doesn’t get enough nutrition, and the fried food she eats doesn’t sit well with her Crohn’s.

Four months after the doctor’s diagnosis, Shaw has not received a colonoscopy, a bowel ultrasound, and other tests recommended by a medical professional. You will need to stay at least three days in the hospital.

“We’re trying to make them understand,” he said.

“Although there is no solution [Crohn’s]you have to heal, or it could be worse. I hope someone with a higher power can help me at least go to the hospital.”

Shaw told USA TODAY that he understands that he committed a crime and that he did not know what the laws were in Indonesia.

But he feels that “more important” is the fact that he did not go to hospital to treat his illness, which was brought up during his trial.

Shaw’s legal team is asking Indonesia’s health minister to consider his compassionate release, citing his cooperation in court and no criminal record before his arrest.

The State Department also commented on Shaw’s case.

“The Trump administration is not more important than the safety and security of the American people,” a State Department spokeswoman 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 inmates get out, is partnering with Prisoner Told in an effort to bring Shaw back to the US. With the help of Forgotten Prisoners founder Donte West, an international criminal justice advocate and consultant, Shaw’s sentence was reduced to 26 months in prison.

The Vlasic Classic Golf Tournament in Missouri in May will be raising money to help Shaw raise the money needed to return overseas.

Shaw, a native of Dallas, played college basketball for Oklahoma State and Utah.

The 6-foot-10 forward saw plenty of playing time with Utah State, averaging 28.3 minutes per game in 58 contests.

During his time with the Aggies, Shaw averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.