Acting Prosecutor Seeks Drug Program; Cites Drug Court Overload, Wait Time

CREST HAVEN – There have been 30 fatal drug overdoses as of Nov. 2, Acting Prosecutor Robert Johnson told freeholders Nov. 28. That tally jumped by six since Aug. 31. That was when then-county prosecutor Robert Taylor reported there had been 24 deaths. 
Johnson further cited an increase in drug overdoses for the same period, 177. Taylor reported 134 in August.
Johnson said Narcan, administered by police and rescue units to persons who overdose on heroin, had been used 152 times. The use of illegal drugs is having an impact on many families.
Drug users are “overdosing and dying more than ever,” said Johnson.
While Drug Court was established to help those with drug-related issues to recovery, Johnson said a study by his office concluded that the wait time, due to limited availability, was often too long for many who have addiction problems.
A study of 20 cases by the County Prosecutor’s Office revealed the average wait time to enter Drug Court was 9.9 months.
The shortest time between arrest and Drug Court entry was 5.7 months while the longest case waited 16.9 months, Johnson said. He cited numbers projected on a screen.
“The problem is when somebody is addicted to drugs, and they get arrested, that is when they are most motivated to do something about it,” Johnson said.
With the state’s bail reform, such individuals are often given a summons, and they return to their prior place, often again using drugs.
That is part of the “unintended consequence of bail reform,” Johnson said. Non-violent offenders are not to be placed in jail.
As a result, those persons often continue to engage in criminal behavior and may face third or fourth offenses, thus “wasting maybe 10 months” when they should have been in Drug Court, he stated.
Johnson envisioned a pilot program that, after an arrest for drugs, the offender would be given the option of drug treatment or traditional incarceration.
Johnson told freeholders that he originally thought he could “Prosecute our way out of the drug problem. But it didn’t work. I was wrong.”
Director Gerald Thornton acknowledged the opioid drug problem had impacted all eight counties in South Jersey. He cited a meeting the prior evening in which the freeholder direcetor from neighboring Atlantic County acknowledged the severity of the problem there.
Thornton said part of the reason the county will be renovating the third floor of the courthouse is to accommodate Drug Court. He lauded the regimine of that court. “If you don’t have discipline the (rehabilitation) program is doomed to failure,” said Thornton.
Johnson cited local agencies that could work with his office to assist those with drug addiction problems including Family Matters, Cape Assist, and Cape Counseling if funding could be made available after the initial arrest.
“It is an opportunity we have to do,” said Johnson, “If we can just work out some of the details and get the supervision component worked out like in Drug Court.”
Drug Court, he added, is “Doing great things, but they are maxing out the number of people they can supervise.”
Johnson cautioned that he could not turn every person in his office “into a probation officer,” to oversee those in such a diversionary program.
Johnson said the program “Has the potential to reach more people than Drug Court.” That’s because many offenders would take treatment over a prison term.
Thornton asked who would pay for drug testing.
Greg Speed of Cape Counseling noted that Medicaid “will cover some drug testing.”
Thornton asked that Johnson “Get together with these agencies and give us an idea how much funding you think is initially needed for a pilot program. We will take a look at the budget.”
“Thirty deaths in this county are outrageous, and 177 Narcan uses are unbelievable,” Thornton said.
How quickly could Johnson form a pilot program, asked Freeholder Will Morey?
“I would say two months,” said Johnson. He asked when estimated figures would be needed.
“Next Thursday,” replied Clerk of the Board Elizabeth Bozzelli.
ED. NOTE: CompleteCare Health Network also has a suboxone program, “Fresh Start,” which is being offered through their Court House location.