Oakland County program provides alternative to jail and prosecution
A new program set to begin in March in Oakland County will keep people who commit low-level crimes out of jail while also connecting them with the resources they need to get help.
The program is called Let Everyone Advance with Dignity (LEAD), and those behind the mission say it's an opportunity to provide a better pathway for people who may have broken the law but need support.
"One of the reasons why we're interested in creating a program like this is so we can avoid people getting into the justice system itself," said Steve Norris, Alliance of Coalitions Director of Overdose Prevention and Recovery Support.
Norris says starting in two weeks, the nonprofit will partner with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Oakland County Prosecutor's Office to launch LEAD. It's a program that will not prosecute people who commit nonviolent crimes, will keep them out of jail and connect them to resources for recovery.
"So, let's just say someone came into contact with a law enforcement agent for a low-level offense. They'd be referred into the program. That person would be assigned a case manager, and we have three of those case managers at the alliance that would work with that individual along their pathway. Whatever their needs were, whether it be housing insecurity, food insecurity, treatment for substance use disorder, connection to mental health treatment," Norris said.
The initiative was first started in Seattle, Washington, 10 years ago. It's also been incorporated in Washtenaw County in Michigan and has proven to be successful.
Norris says an arrest could hinder the recovery for those who struggle with mental health or substance abuse. He's confident this program will get them back on their feet.
"I'm hoping to keep people out of the system quite frankly. That's where a lot of people find a lot of pressure, shame, issues navigating. We want to deal with that in a different approach and we want to connect them to social workers and counselors to be able to help them prior to having to enter into the legal system," said Norris.
Norris says this pilot program will start small and will only be offered in Pontiac to make sure it operates smoothly. In time, it will expand throughout all of Oakland County.
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