'Deflection' Can Help Addicted People Avoid Crime: Prosecutor

FREEHOLD, NJ — Helping those with a drug addiction avoid breaking the law in the first place is a new concept called "deflection," and it is being supported by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

The office is joining other agencies in 11 states in marking the inaugural National Deflection Week, an initiative launched by PAARI - Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative. The week runs from July 16 to July 22.

While there is not a program in effect yet in the county, the county courts already offer a Recovery Diversion Program that provides resources and support to defendants charged with low-level offenses due to substance abuse and/or mental health issues, the prosecutor's office noted.

When that program is completed, defendants can become eligible for dismissal of their charges and expedited expungement.

But deflection is an even more proactive step, the office said.

"There’s no time like the present to embrace models such as these," the prosecutor's office said in support of the idea.

More than a million Americans have now died due to a drug overdose in the 21st century, including a record high of nearly 110,000 last year, the prosecutor's office said.

An estimated 1,500 lives were lost in such fashion across Monmouth County in the decade stretching from 2012 through 2021, the office said.

“Deflection” is similar to “diversion,” with one key difference: It hopes to reach individuals seeking to turn their lives around before they become involved with the criminal justice system, the prosecutor's office said.

The collaborative effort can involve any combination of members of law enforcement, first responders, social workers, and recovery support professionals connecting individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse challenges to community-based treatment or services as an alternative to either arrest or inaction.

There is one way the office has already embraced the concept of deflection: There is a 24/7 opioid abuse helpline, 833-OHH-CARE, launched in 2020. It is staffed by recovery coaches who steer individuals to methods of treatment that work best for them.

There are many benefits of deflection, the office said, including promoting recovery, saving taxpayer dollars, reducing drug use and drug-related crimes (as well as social burden on police), and ensuring that children and families can thrive.

"We ask all of our many partners in law enforcement, local government, and social services to join us in embracing the push to recognize deflection as a cause worth supporting unequivocally," the prosecutor's office said.