CARLISLE, Pa. — A newly-established drug court in Cumberland County is being touted as the first in Pennsylvania, and one of the first of its kind in the nation.
The Opioid Intervention Court aims to beat addiction at the time of an addict’s first arrest. The voluntary program allows the person who was arrested to immediately detox and enter a recovery program.
Judge Jessica Brewbaker with the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas presides over the program, which operates in partnership with the RASE Project. As Brewbaker explains, the intervention court is designed to be more advanced than other drug courts already in existence.
“Long-term courts are usually 12 to 18 months, and they’re usually for people who are further along in the criminal justice process,” Brewbaker said. “They’ve had more criminal justice problems in the past.”
Brewbaker said the Opioid Intervention Court is similar to a triage court, that allows officials to intervene at the very beginning of an addict’s criminal justice involvement related to opioid use.
“We’re hoping to grab them right away before they get the long records, before they get all the problems that can develop as a result of the addiction,” she said.
The program requires daily court appearances by participants, as well as adherence to nightly curfews and random drug screenings.
