Macomb County Prosecutor seeks approval for a drug diversion program


Pictured are (left to right)  Assistant Prosecuting Attorney David Portuesi; Dunya Barash, director of operations-FAN; Michigan Senator Michael D. MacDonald; Linda Davis, executive director-FAN; Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.
(Photo courtesy of Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office)

On Monday, the Macomb County Board of Commissioners Records and Public Safety Committee unanimously voted for initial approval of a $1.2 million Prosecutor’s Office budget amendment to accept grant funds to participate in Families Against Narcotics’ drug diversion programs.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido and Families Against Narcotics (“FAN”) Executive Director Linda Davis announced a first-of-its-kind drug diversion partnership. The goal is to reduce drug-related crimes and overdose deaths by offering people who may have committed a minor, nonviolent, drug-related, or drug-induced offense a referral to treatment and a continuum of care instead of arrest and prosecution of criminal charges. The Prosecutor’s Office will work with FAN to create a new Substance Use Disorder Pre-Arrest Diversion Program “REDIRECT.” FAN is a grassroots organization known and respected by law enforcement throughout the county.

“If we hope to change the cycle of drugs and crime, then we in law enforcement cannot continue to do the same thing in every case,” said Lucido. “Prevention and diversion are important tools in the law enforcement toolbox for appropriate nonviolent cases.”

The social and economic impact of these lower-in-the-pyramid crimes is huge, but a status quo approach to them too often makes things worse, not better, and at a big financial and societal cost. In 2019, drug-related deaths in Macomb County increased by 27.8%, heroin-related deaths increased by 9.7%, and deaths involving fentanyl increased 204% compared to the prior year. The Marshall Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system, deemed Macomb County “at-risk” in the national opioid epidemic, citing low medications for opioid use disorder provider rates and high opioid-overdose death rates.

Lucido would partner with FAN to carry out REDIRECT. FAN will provide a continuum of care for 12 months after enrollment into REDIRECT to provide a range of supportive services. REDIRECT will give participants treatment rather than a jail sentence. FAN’s Peer Recovery coaches will work closely with REDIRECT participants as well as their family members, to ensure there are no violations for one year.

REDIRECT will also assist participants in accessing sober living and preparing for and finding employment.

The grant will enable the Prosecutor’s Office to assign one part-time Special Prosecutor to the REDIRECT program. Once criteria for qualification is finalized, police officers who encounter potential participants will make recommendations to the Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor will have the final decision on whether a person can be diverted to REDIRECT. If a person has been accepted and successfully completes the REDIRECT program, then criminal charges will not be filed against them.

Combating drugs is a bipartisan effort. The recent county commission committee vote was unanimous. Vice President Kamala Harris noted there is strong evidence that many nonviolent offenders can be successfully redirected, in her book “Smart on Crime,” which she authored as a career prosecutor. Police departments realize they cannot arrest their way out of addiction. FAN is approaching the police departments of Clinton Township, Fraser, Roseville, Sterling Heights, and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office regarding the REDIRECT program. It is hoped the program will be available countywide next year.

Families Against Narcotics received a $1.2 million federal Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Prosecutor’s Office would be a “sub-recipient” of FAN for part of it. The program is expected to continue through September 2024.

The Board of Commissioners will consider the proposal for final approval on February 24, at the full Board of Commissioners meeting.

Founded in 2007, Families Against Narcotics (FAN) is a nonprofit organization based in Macomb County. It works to educate communities statewide about addiction, dispel the stigma associated with the disease, and compassionately support and assist those affected by it. The organization has more than 20 chapters across the state of Michigan. For additional information, visit familiesagainstnarcotics.org.