The Opt for Help and Hope initiative will be implemented in East Orange Municipal Court, according to a press release from Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
Opt for Help and Hope is a prosecutor-led diversion program that offers people who commit low-level, non-violent crimes the opportunity to overcome substance use disorder.
The Opt for Help and Hope initiative is being funded with proceeds from the Attorney General’s settlement with consulting firm McKinsey and Co., which was allegedly involved in the false advertisement of opioid products, and is being administered under the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies.
The voluntary program will offer early intervention for defendants whose offenses are non-violent and believed to be related to substance use and connect them with recovery resources and support services.
The goal is to minimize the impact that arrests and convictions can have on the stability needed to sustain recovery.
“People who are dependent on narcotics or other substances and commit non-violent crimes need help, not a criminal record that can interfere with their chances of recovering from the disease of addiction,” Platkin said.
Opt for Help and Hope is the first statewide initiative focused on offering support services for substance use disorder to municipal court defendants.
“Since we announced funding for the Opt for Help and Hope program last November, NJ CARES has been working with each of the six selected County Prosecutor’s Offices to assist them in the development of their prosecutor-led diversion programs,” said Kelly E. Levy, acting director of NJ CARES.
Through its investigations and lawsuits against companies involved in misconduct relating to the manufacture, distribution, dispensation and advertising of opioid drug products, the Office of the Attorney General anticipates receiving over $1 billion to help combat the ongoing opioid epidemic in New Jersey.
Opt for Help and Hope is one of the first programs to be funded with those settlement funds.
The funding for the pilot program is for a 24-month period from March 1, 2023, through Feb. 28, 2025.
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