Study Data from Clemson University Provide New Insights into Opioid Crisis (Somebody's going to emergency, somebody's going to jail: pre-booking diversion and officer discretion).

This article focuses on new research from Clemson University examining pre-booking diversion programs as an alternative to traditional criminal justice responses to opioid-related offenses. These programs allow police officers to refer individuals with substance use disorders to treatment before arrest, with officers showing a higher likelihood of referring younger individuals, females, Black individuals, those with less serious criminal histories, and those using opioids rather than marijuana. The study suggests that officer discretion in these programs holds promise for addressing the opioid epidemic by increasing treatment referrals for opioid users. Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the research highlights the potential of pre-booking diversion to reduce negative impacts of criminal justice involvement for people with substance use disorders. [Extracted from the article]