OUR STORY

Person-First’s story starts in many places, but the founding members came together after it was announced that Delaware County commissioners approved a motion to move forward with building a new 500 bed jail. It was suggested by the Indiana Department of Corrections that our commissioners find a way to reduce overcrowding within the current facility, otherwise the County might face a lawsuit about the jail. When we heard this news, we held an open meeting in our living room to find a way we could stop this project in its tracks. Throughout the meeting, we kept running into the question, “how can we work to reduce the population of the jail while also addressing the root cause of social problems that lead to arrest?” In short, we came to find harm reduction as a viable alternative.

We looked at the population of the jail and found that a little over half of the population was there for drug crimes. Another sizeable chunk of the population were non-violent offenders. If we could find ways to curb these offenders’ arrests and consequent jailing, then we could reduce the population of the jail by 60-70%. We would only need 120 beds.

After weeks of attempting to talk to the commissioners about changing their mind, we realized they were dead-set in their plans. They were not willing to engage in an honest conversation about alternatives to incarceration, despite the evidence that these alternatives have been successful in other places. Had they listened, they would have learned about the power of harm reduction programs, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs, and Housing-First initiatives. Despite their reluctance, we have decided to pursue these measures with our own means and on our own terms.

Harm reduction programs have been around and studied for decades, and the evidence is conclusive. Syringe-exchange programs reduce the number of syringes found in the community, reduce transmissions of infectious disease and injection-related infections, increase access to substance abuse treatment, and don’t increase the frequency or amount of drugs consumed by participants! Further, if the program has solid outreach and distributes narcan, it can seriously reduce the amount of overdose deaths in the community. All of this for a fraction of the cost of treating for disease, infection, and emergency room visits.*

*https://www.academyhealth.org/node/2211 (links to peer-reviewed articles on page)

LEAD programs first launched in Seattle in 2011, and there are now 20 LEAD programs in 11 different states, with many more exploring or soon launching their own LEAD programs. LEAD is a post-arrest, pre-booking diversion program that allows those arrested for drug possession, sales, or sex work to seek help to meet their needs. Instead of being locked in a cell, the person arrested is given the chance to meet with a case manager who can link that person to social services to assist with medical care, housing, food security, or any other social barriers that may be leading to the harmful behaviors that we often call crime. Participants of the LEAD program in Seattle were 58% less likely to be arrested again in the first 6 months following the initial arrest, compared to those who did not participate in LEAD. Participants were also more likely to find housing and employment through participating in the LEAD program. Finally, participants of LEAD reported improvement in their lives as a result of the program, and also reported improved relationships and trust of police officers.**

** https://www.leadbureau.org/evaluations (individual links to evaluations on this page)

Housing-First initiatives are designed to engage with people who are homeless and experiencing mental illness or chaotic drug use. As the name suggests, these initiatives do not require someone to enter into treatment for their mental health BEFORE housing, but are invited to stabilize their lives through consistent and reliable housing prior to efforts toward treatment. Evidence shows that Housing-First helps increase housing stability among this population, increases rates of entry into mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, and decreases visits and costs to housing shelters and emergency rooms.***

*** http://whatworksforhealth.wisc.edu/program.php?t1=109&t2=126&t3=89&id=349 (links to peer-reviewed article hosted on this page)

We’ve learned that we cannot rely on those in power to provide compassionate services to the most marginalized and downtrodden among us. So, we’re learning to act without their blessing. If we had $45 million to fund these projects instead of a jail, we would see lasting, tangible, and positive changes in Muncie and Delaware County. Instead, we’ll be trying our best to build a loving community that leads to real opportunity, all with a shoe-string budget and open hearts.