2020 Fatal Overdose Victims & the Criminal Justice System

Click here to review the 2020 Fatal Overdose Victims & Criminal Justice Report.

Message from District Attorney General Charme Allen

The most successful strategy to fight the opioid epidemic has always been community collaboration.

With collaborations like the Drug Related Death Task Force and All4Knox, the number of overdose deaths plateaued and then eventually began to decline in recent years. Unfortunately, our community plans did not account for a global pandemic, which came with a devastating impact to our community’s health and social wellbeing.

The Knox County District Attorney General’s Office will continue to combat the threat of fentanyl and other deadly drugs through the targeted prosecution of drug traffickers in our community. We will also continue to partner with other community agencies to gather and analyze data in order to introduce effective prevention and intervention initiatives for individuals facing addiction to increase community safety and reduce overdose deaths.

The 2020 Fatal Overdose Victims & The Criminal Justice System Report provides data which outlines the interaction between the criminal justice system and individuals who passed away due to a drug overdose. My office uses this data to identify possible intervention points to fight against substance misuse in our community from all angles. For the past several years, community agencies have used the data in this report to do the same thing.

It is my mission to remove the flow of deadly drugs from our community and to hold offenders accountable. At the same time, it is my hope to eradicate overdose deaths in our community. Thank you for your interest and investment in the lives of Knox County citizens. Together, we can make our county a safer place to live, work, and play!

Charme P. Allen
District Attorney General
6th Judicial District