Legislators want to study bringing opioid courts to Connecticut

HARTFORD — As deaths and overdoses spike, a group of legislators thinks Connecticut should change the way court cases for opioid addicts are handled. The Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to create a task force to study the feasibility of establishing opioid intervention courts in the state. The Senate will vote on the bill before it becomes law. Opioid courts are being piloted around the country. They specialize in hearing criminal or juvenile cases in which a defendant addicted to opioids and could benefit from intensive court monitoring and placement in a substance abuse treatment program — instead of prison time. A task force would in particular examine a model in Buffalo, N.Y., said Sen.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Legislators-want-to-study-bringing-opioid-courts-12788899.php