More Than 60 Criminal Justice Leaders Support Overdose Prevention Sites as Critical Tools to Save Lives
With an overdose crisis that grows daily, more and more criminal justice leaders are coming to the conclusion that different approaches to address substance use disorder are needed. This growing commitment to a public health response led more than 60 criminal justice leaders to join an amicus brief filed in United States v. Safehouse in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“I have a duty to protect the health and safety of every member of my community. Yet, when it comes to opioid use, we are hampered in that effort by a system that looks to outdated criminal justice responses, rather than the public health strategies we know work.”
– Philadephia District Attorney Larry Krasner
In the brief, amici argue that the criminalization of substance use disorder only exacerbates the adverse impacts of drug use and erodes community trust in law enforcement. They further assert that harm reduction models, including overdose prevention sites, are a more effective response and save lives. For more, read the press release and full brief.
