BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An opioid crisis intervention court, now in session in the city of Buffalo, is unprecedented here and elsewhere, as announced Wednesday by officials.
"This is the first opioid court in the country, I didn't say county, I didn't say state, I said country," said District Attorney John Flynn, D-Erie County.
The program, funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, began May 1 and officials said 43 people have already gone through the court; 40 of whom are in inpatient care.
During treatment, the patient's criminal proceedings are put on hold.
"If you committed a crime, the crime is going to be accounted for, but for the next 30 days we're going to focus on the client and the client is going to get the help they need, whether they want it or not," said Buffalo City Court Judge Craig Hannah.
"Throwing them in jail and not treating their underlying issue, which is their addiction, doesn't help solve the problem with them and in truth, it costs us much more in dollars and cents to pay for it then to actually treat them," said County Executive Mark Poloncarz, D-Erie County.