Judge Tom Jarrell overdose

The Tragic Overdose of Judge Tom Jarrell: A Story of Opioid Stigma

Chief District Court Judge Tom Jarrell (Guilford County, NC) died suddenly last August in his bedroom.  His colleagues were stunned at his sudden passing at age 56.  They went from stunned to shocked when his autopsy results were revealed last week showing his cause of death as an accidental overdose of fentanyl and heroin.  One
Recovery Month

Recovery Month: Celebrating Sobriety, Support, and Second Chances

A Time of Celebration and Hope www.recoverymonth.gov In Memorium: Christopher Kennedy Lawford, 33 years sober. While recovery should be celebrated every day, September is the 29th Annual National Recovery Month to remind us of the importance of this issue in our communities.  We ask local policy makers to sign proclamations to demonstrate a commitment to
Baby addict myth

The Baby Addict Myth: Debunking Misinformation About Neonatal Exposure

In the 1980s and 1990s it was “crack babies.” Now it’s babies born “addicted to opiates.” We’ve spent 30 years trying to debunk the baby addict myth; that newborns can be born “addicted.” However, the misinformation continues with current headlines like “Life begins with agony of withdrawal for opiate-addicted babies.” Over ten years ago 30
Veterans Treatment Courts

Veterans Treatment Courts: Honoring Service with Justice

Today is Veterans Day in the United States.  This means we should think, not just about those veterans who have been killed or physically wounded over the last decade and a half  of the wars in the middle east but, also of those veterans who return from those wars suffering from invisible wounds in the form
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Combating DWI: Are We Doing Enough to Prevent Impaired Driving?

May 14th, 1988 is a day that will long be remembered by many.  On that day, the deadliest impaired driving crash in U.S. history occurred on Interstate 71 in Carrollton, Kentucky.  An impaired driver in a pickup truck going the wrong way on the interstate hit a church activity bus with 67 passengers.  There were

Tough on Crime is Not Smart on Crime.

The shibboleth ‘tough on crime’ is one politicians find quite appealing. The problem is that being tough – without being smart and effective – makes the community less safe and also costs money better spent on other services that have been squeezed dry by the global financial crisis. California, for example, enacted the toughest ‘three
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