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LEAD program aims to break criminal justice cycle

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle - 6/12/2020

Jun. 12--CHEYENNE -- For some people, committing crimes can become cyclical. People can get stuck in the criminal justice system, and the root of why a person is committing a crime doesn't get treated.

The LEAD program, or Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, aims to change that. The program is grant-funded and is aiming for a soft launch June 22. It was originally supposed to begin in March, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Case manager Hailey Hayden said LEAD is based off of similar programs in Seattle and Colorado, but is being adapted to fit Wyoming's needs. The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-Based Program grant is through Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.

Hayden will work with law enforcement officers, both at the Cheyenne Police Department and the Laramie County Sheriff's Department, to determine who would be a good candidate for the program to get people the help they need.

For instance, if someone is repeatedly stealing from a store because of a drug problem, instead of continuing to arrest that person, they could be referred to Hayden to treat their underlying drug addiction.

People would be referred to LEAD for nonviolent misdemeanor issues, not felonies, and they are usually people who are having recurring issues.

"It's really anyone who has an issue with law enforcement," Hayden said. "I mean, they have to be repeat offenders. We really don't take the people who are like an 18-year-old and you get caught with marijuana, it's your first offense -- they're not going to be appropriate.

"We're really just trying to break that cycle so that these people who are in jail and out of jail -- I'm sure they don't want to live the life path for the rest of their lives in and out of jail -- so how can we better it so its not only better for themselves, but better for the community?"

Capt. Kevin James, public information officer with the sheriff's department, said these offenders are the people that the LEAD program will attempt to divert away from the "revolving door of the criminal justice system" and get them treatment for their underlying problems.

"Continuing to just arrest or fine these people, which is our traditional response, really does not address their underlying addictions, or their mental health issues," James said. "And it's also expensive for the taxpayers to continue to confine these offenders in jail, when we can take a different approach to these issues and attempt to address the underlying issues with the goal of making these people more productive members of society."

David Inman, CPD public information officer, said when he was patrolling, he would typically get an average of one call for service a day dealing with a person with drug problems or a mental illness. Getting people the help they need will also free up an officer's time so they can do proactive policing.

One of the police department's goals for 2020 was to reduce the recidivism rate by 50% for low-level drug offenders, Inman said. This means making 75 pre-booking diversions and 35 social LEAD referrals for 2020.

A pre-booking referral is when an officer diverts someone into the program when an offense has been committed, but before an arrest has been made. A social referral is when an offense hasn't been committed, but an officer thinks that person would be a good candidate for the program.

Each officer will make at least one social and one prebooking referral every 60 days, Inman said. The department will also host another crisis intervention training class for officers this year.

Hayden said LEAD is a harm-reduction based model, meaning if someone is struggling, for example, with methamphetamine, they don't completely have to quit the drug to qualify for the program. The program aims to reduce the person's dependence on the drug, and doesn't require them to quit, which might cause people to not participate in the program.

"So we're not asking people to be completely off, because that can be daunting. If you're like, 'Yeah, to be in this program you have to completely quit drugs,' and if you get someone who has been dealing with this for years and years, they're probably not gonna want to join this program."

She said maybe one day that person will be able to quit drugs, but quitting doesn't mean success for the program. It's about improving that person's life, even if it's only with baby steps.

For example, someone could be doing drugs every day when they join this program, but during the program, they're able to reduce their drug use to only once a month. To Hayden, that's success.

Before taking this position, Hayden worked in a jail. She said she saw firsthand how people are affected when they don't have the right options. She said people would come into jail, get out and be back a few days later. She asked herself, "Isn't there something else that we could do?"

She said she hopes the community will see the value in having LEAD, and said she thinks the work will speak for itself. She said one of her goals is to show the community that having this program is worthwhile, and Cheyenne, as well as Laramie County, aren't turning their backs on people that other communities like to view as deviants.

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