BOSTON (AP) - Authorities are starting a new pilot program in Boston aimed at helping certain nonviolent drug offenders get treatment rather than being prosecuted.
Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley’s says the “Road to Recovery” pilot program will be launched next month in the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court.
Under the program, police won’t arrest certain low-level, nonviolent drug offenders for possession, but will issue a summons for that person to appear in court the next day.
In court, those eligible defendants will get a chance to enter treatment instead of being arraigned. If the person finishes the three-to-six month program, they won’t be charged criminally.
Conley says that will allow participants to “focus on getting clean and staying sober, instead of fighting the case or paying fines and fees.”
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