Bronx Opioid Court Gives Participants a Chance at Recovery

By Victoria Kim, 02/02/18

TheFix .com

Once a participant completes their treatment program, their case is dismissed and sealed, according to the Law Journal.

A new program run by the Bronx Criminal Court in New York City is hoping to prioritize recovery for people charged with low-level, non-violent offenses.

The Bronx’s Overdose Avoidance and Recovery (OAR) program is just over two months old, but has so far helped 50 defendants access treatment in lieu of jail, according to the New York Law Journal.

“It’s not being soft on crime; it’s being smart on crime because these people will continue to go through the system because of their problem,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, according to Fox 5. “If you don’t address the problem, you’re going to continue to have the crime. If we address the problem, I believe we will reduce the crime.”

This is the second opioid court in New York state. The first was established in Buffalo last May. That program has counted 230 participants so far, with one drug-related death.

Buffalo’s opioid court was created out of a need to address the growing rate of...

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[CURATED CONTENT: Written By Victoria Kim, February 2, 2018 - originally published on TheFix.com]

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#overdose

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#mortality

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#bronxcriminalcourt

#low-level offenders

#nonviolent offenders

#opioids

#News

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