HONESDALE, PA — The heroin and opioid epidemic is Pennsylvania’s number one public health and safety crisis, according to Attorney General Michelle Henry. In 2021, more than 5,000 Pennsylvanians died from overdoses. An average of 14 Pennsylvanians suffer overdose-related deaths every day, and the latest data suggests that the toll is going to climb higher before it starts to come down.

Addressing this issue in Wayne County has been a top priority for District Attorney A.G. Howell since he got elected in 2019. In particular, Howell said, he’s seen an increase in the dispersal of heroin laced with fentanyl and xylazine—both of which make drugs more potent and more deadly.

“There has been, I believe, an increase in drug overdose deaths and [non-fatal] overdoses because of heroin use,” Howell said. “People addicted to drugs are using heroin and probably not realizing how much fentanyl is in it.”

At the same time, the DA said he’s also seen a rise in the use of methamphetamine.

“[Meth] is not necessarily killing people literally,” he said. “But it’s figuratively destroying their lives and their families’ lives.’”

Because meth can make people behave so that they may be a danger to themselves and others, Howell said there has been an uptick in 302 warrants—which can authorize authorities to bring someone in for an evaluation by a physician to determine if they need to be admitted for involuntary psychiatric in-patient treatment. However, when someone is under the influence of meth, it can lead to dangerous situations for both the individual and law enforcement.

“Just [recently], there was someone down in Lehigh Township who was acting very erratically in the residential development where he lived; walking around, looking to fight people, making some outlandish threats,” Howell said. “So a neighbor got a 302 warrant to try and get him some help. The police and Lehigh Township officers went to his house, and he barricaded himself in… It can be a very scary situation.”

The most salient point from that story might be the phrase “to try and get him some help.” In a shift from former District Attorney Patrick Robinson—who said in 2019, “I’m not really qualified to rehab people, or to educate them. The thing I’m trained to do, the thing I know something about, is prosecuting drug dealers,”—Howell said he has taken an approach that favors treatment over punishment when possible.

Alternatives to punishment

Since getting elected, Howell has implemented a District Court Diversionary Program geared toward younger, nonviolent offenders, which he describes as a “mini drug court at the magistrate level.”

“Coming to central court, pleading guilty and paying a fine; I don’t think that does them any good,” Howell said.

The diversionary program typically involves some community service, evaluation and treatment. And in general, Howell said it’s about trying to help get younger residents off on a different path—setting them up with a bank account, encouraging them to get a CDL license, or looking into attending college, for example.

Since 2017, Wayne County has also had a Drug & Treatment Court, for “higher risk” referrals, such as repeat offenders possibly looking at “heavy-duty jail time,” Howell said. Drug court offers individuals with long-term drug treatment rather than incarceration. According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, these programs reduce crime by 45 percent compared to traditional sentencing. While 30 percent of former inmates avoid reoffending after their release, 75 percent of drug court grads remain arrest free, one long-running study found.

Drug court participants must meet specific eligibility requirements to be admitted into the program. However, Howell said that if someone is in need, but doesn’t necessarily meet all the criteria to a T, he’d rather make an exception than turn them away.

Wayne County law enforcement has also just begun training to participate in the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI), run through the state’s attorney general’s office. The idea behind LETI is to make police officers and other government officials a part of the recovery process, not just criminal justice.

If someone is suffering from a substance abuse disorder, rather than calling the police to get that person arrested and charged with a crime, they can call the police and request a “LETI referral” to connect the individual in need with the Wayne County Drug & Alcohol Commission (D&A).

Alternatively, “anyone” can call D&A directly at 570/253-6022 and say, “This is a LETI referral,” and hand the phone to the person who needs help.

Howell said that he campaigned in 2019 on seeking treatment sooner rather than later, and these various programs are the realization of that promise.

“The hope is that people can get better and to know that they are not doing it alone. Even law enforcement is on board to try and help them,” he said. “Some people start to spiral down that rabbit hole and get addicted to drugs, and they start to feel like they’re a scourge on society. We’ve got to get rid of that stigma. They have some issues, they have some problems, but we’re here to help.”