DA Releases Statistics on Overdose Victims and the Criminal Justice System

As part of its involvement in the Drug Related Death Task Force, the District Attorney’s Office has analyzed hundreds of cases looking for overdose victims with previous interaction with the criminal justice system. Because of the high number of individuals who fatally overdosed who had recent contact with the court system, the analysis suggests that opportunities for intervention exist in many cases and that such intervention could save lives.

There were two hundred and twenty-four drug-related deaths in Knox County in 2016. Of the fatal overdose victims with an incarceration history within the last five years, sixty-seven percent (67%) died within eighteen months of their release from custody, with the largest group dying within the first ninety days of release.

“We can see that the most dangerous time for an individual living with addiction to relapse is during the period shortly after their release from incarceration because their tolerance is lower,” said DA Charme Allen.”As prosecutors, we have an opportunity to intervene and engage high-risk individuals in treatment programs or halfway houses as part of their sentence. There is also an opportunity for community agencies to partner with law enforcement to create a cross-sector plan to overcome this epidemic. If we can curb recidivism and prevent crime by treating addiction while saving lives at the same time, that will be a successful prosecution.”

The full report can be found at http://knoxcounty.org/dag/2016OverdoseDeathsCJS/.

The Drug Related Task Force is a multi-agency investigation and prosecution team who examines overdoses that occur in Knox County as a means to combat the opiate epidemic. Founded under the direction of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA), the task force consists of the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Knox County Regional Forensic Center. The goal of the task force is to decrease overdoses by holding drug dealers accountable when their drug trafficking leads to overdose deaths. The task force also gains intelligence about the opiate epidemic that can be used by member agencies and others across the country to fight this increasing problem.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.