South district Advisors learn about Madison Area Addiction Recovery Initiative

At their May CPAB meeting, South district Advisors welcomed retired MPD Captain and MCPF Chair Joe Balles to give a presentation on MAARI (Madison Area Addiction Recovery Initiative), a U.S. Department of Justice grant-funded pre-arrest diversion program that aims to reduce overdose, crime and recidivism and increase addiction treatment engagement.

The board participated in a compelling discussion about Opioid Use Disorder, its impact on the brain, why most people struggling with addiction don’t receive treatment, and the benefits of diverting individuals who commit addiction-related crimes from the criminal justice system and instead linking them to treatment.

Balles discussed three waves of the opioid epidemic in the U.S. (prescription, heroin, synthetics) and the trend in opioid-related deaths in Wisconsin and Dane County. Advisors learned about heroin overdose “hot spots” in Madison, how law enforcement has responded, and promising diversion initiatives in cities throughout the country such as Seattle, Wash. and Gloucester, Mass.

MAARI’s history was discussed, including its network of early collaborators throughout Madison and Dane County, as well as the results of an evaluation led by UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health.