Innovative program in Seattle demonstrates how support can change the lives of people living with addiction

Innovative program changes the lives of people living with addiction.

Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), a program launched in 2011 in Seattle, is a collaboration between police, public defenders and case workers that seek to help reintegrate people living with addiction into society, rather than letting them cycle from the streets into jail cells and back.  The criminal justice system is expensive and not effective for treating addiction and the associated harms.  This program has reduced the likelihood of an individual reoffending by 60%.  This is a new way to improve the lives of those who previously lacked access to treatment and support required to recover from substance abuse.

More information on the LEAD program and how it works to change the lives of individuals living with addiction is here.