Office of Attorney General Expands Program With Local Law Enforcement to Connect Individuals Suffering from Addiction with Treatment
LEWISTOWN—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that Mifflin County has joined the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI), a program launched by Attorney General Shapiro in collaboration with law enforcement that provides assistance to Pennsylvanians suffering from substance use disorders in enrolling in a treatment program. Ten counties have previously joined the LETI program.
PA LETI allows Pennsylvanians seeking treatment for addiction to use their local law enforcement, including sheriffs, probation officers, and parole officers as a resource to contact participating treatment partners without the threat of arrest.
“As Pennsylvania recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot forget the ongoing opioid epidemic that takes the lives of twelve Pennsylvanians every day,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Connecting individuals to the treatment they need will save lives and make our communities safer, and I commend Mifflin County District Attorney Christopher Torquato for his commitment to tackling this crisis that impacts every community in our Commonwealth.”
“We appreciate the Attorney General’s cooperation and assistance in establishing the LETI program in Mifflin County,” said District Attorney Christopher Torquato. “Many individuals often go down the wrong path when suffering from addiction, and it is our hope that this program will offer law enforcement, and those suffering from substance use disorder, the resources they need to complete a safe recovery and continue to combat the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania.”
“With the rise in overdose deaths and substance use across Pennsylvania, it’s more important than ever to make sure that individuals are accessing life-saving treatment resources,” said Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith. “There is a short window of opportunity to help individuals when they are ready to access treatment. The expansion of the PA LETI program to Mifflin County will provide another avenue for folks to reach out and receive the treatment they need and deserve to overcome this disease.”
Shapiro said partnering Mifflin County law enforcement agencies under PA LETI will:
- Open their station doors to those suffering from addiction.
- Help identify treatment for those who seek it.
- Assist with ensuring that people have transportation to the facilities.
- Maintain relationships with local treatment providers to understand availability, and collect data to study outcomes.
In Mifflin County, individuals can contact a member of law enforcement at any time to ask for a referral or to be connected to treatment with no threat of arrest or prosecution. This policy also includes the ability for law enforcement to connect individuals to treatment at their discretion.
Agent Janene Holter, PhD, is the Office of Attorney General’s dedicated full-time agent who coordinates PA LETI. Her work includes training, writing policies for each participating county, providing sample policies and documents, and convening key community stakeholders.
LETI currently operates in Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Somerset counties. District Attorneys in Pennsylvania interested in starting a PA LETI program should contact the Office of Attorney General at 570-826-2483.
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