The Lehigh County District Attorney’s office is launching a new program to help treat people suffering from drug or alcohol abuse, and potentially keep them out of the criminal justice system.
District Attorney Jim Martin announced Wednesday that his office was establishing the Rapid Assessment Divert to Treatment program, which aims to provide treatment and other services to people with a substance use disorder.
According to a release, R.A.D.T will provide evaluations and services soon after a person is arrested to find them treatment which, if completed, could allow their criminal charges to be reduced or dropped before their case makes it to the court system.
The program will provide rapid drug and alcohol evaluations and based on the recommended course of treatment, will divert participants to the appropriate inpatient or outpatient treatment.
The DA’s office said other services will be provided to try and prevent future criminal behavior and reduce addiction to controlled substances and/or substance use disorders.
Participation is voluntary and does not require any formal finding of guilt. R.A.D.T. is geared toward individuals who do not have an extensive criminal history, and under most circumstances would not be recommended to participate in Lehigh County’s drug court.
The release said an Assistant District Attorney will facilitate bail modification to permit people to enter treatment.
In the case of successful treatment, the DA may dismiss or reduce a charge, seek a sentence reduction, or seek to recommend a sentence appropriate with the person’s need for treatment, current charge, and criminal history.
The program is a collaborative effort between the DA, Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol, Lehigh County Jail, Lehigh County Public Defender’s Office, and the Lehigh County Adult Probation Office.
Referrals to the program can come from anyone. The release said most will come from pretrial services, which will also supervise participants released on bail.
Lehigh County Jail will provide information on whether participants are experiencing detoxing symptoms, with the goal of placing them in a treatment program to avoid detoxing in jail.
Participants being treated while on bail will be monitored by the R.A.D.T. program to ensure compliance. A request to revoke bail will be pursued if a person fails to complete treatment or violates their bail.
Those recommended for R.A.D.T. who may also have an existing probation or parole violation pending will be simultaneously reviewed by adult probation to determine its position regarding program participation.
County participants will review recommended cases for the program on a weekly basis.
Martin’s office said the new initiative is based off Lehigh County’s Team MISA, or Mental Illness Substance Abuse program which has addressed criminal behavior, mental health, and intellectual disability for the past 17 years.
Both R.A.D.T. and M.I.S.A. are zero-balance budget programs. Providers are funded through their respective offices.
“This program has the potential to be a life-altering experience for many people,” Martin said in a statement.
(Original air-date: 8/2/23)
