County Prosecutors Continue Fight Against Substance Abuse At Court Summit

County prosecutors from all over the state were in attendance on July 25 for the Indiana Court system’s statewide substance abuse summit. The Indiana Supreme Court invited county leaders and stakeholders to attend the summit, from prosecutors and judges to law enforcement officials and doctors. All 92 counties in the state were represented in some capacity at the event. Attendance by numerous prosecutors shows a commitment to confronting the state’s ongoing substance abuse problem and learning best practices for how to deal with and treat people struggling with addiction.

“As a prosecuting attorney, public safety is paramount and if there is an opportunity to make our communities safer we have a responsibility to explore those options,” said Ric Hertel, Ripley County prosecutor. “It was encouraging to see people from varied disciplines come together with like goals in mind.”

Attendees heard in-depth discussions about Medication Assisted Treatment to help combat the cravings and withdrawals of substance abuse. Medication Assisted Treatment must have proper assessments and protocols in place to avoid diversion and misuse of these medicines. Careful monitoring and accountability is a must for these programs to be successful.  

Whether it is opioids or some other abused drug, every county in Indiana has felt a strain due to substance abuse. Pat Harrington, the prosecutor for Tippecanoe County, said the effects of the ongoing drug crisis is manifesting itself in his office via loaded court dockets dealing with drug issues.

“Across the state, everyone is loaded down with drug cases, we don’t have enough people in our office,” Harrington said. “And I’m hearing that from everyone I’ve talked to.”

The hope with a carefully and competently monitored Medication Assisted Treatment is that people regularly taking medication to suppress the urge to abuse drugs may be less likely to re-offend or overdose. Often it takes up to two years for the brain to heal from the damage caused by substance abuse. Fewer people going through the justice system will give some relief to courts, attorneys, and local jails. Most importantly it will make Indiana healthier and safer.