Too often, Vermonters suffering from addiction are met with handcuffs and prison cells instead of treatment and support, further fueling our nationwide crisis of mass incarceration. Vermont’s opiate epidemic threatens public health and safety, but we’ve learned that trying to wage a “War on Drugs” only fills our prisons at devastating cost to individuals, families and communities. So, what can we do instead?
This fall, Smart Justice Vermont is exploring questions related to mass incarceration, its causes and alternatives in The Freedom Series, an online forum for learning and discussion. Join us on Tuesday, September 11 from 6 - 7:30 p.m for our next discussion, Vermont’s Addiction: How the Opiate Epidemic Affects All Vermonters.
Representative Selene Colburn, member of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee, and Grace Keller of Safe Recovery will join to dive into a discussion of the current moment in the opiate crisis including recent developments in Vermont and nationwide. They will share how their thoughts on how Vermonters can support effective approaches to dealing with addiction in their communities.
All Freedom Series online discussions are free and open to the public. Register to receive instructions on how to join via your phone or home computer. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, we encourage you to register, even if you cannot join the live discussion. We will send the recording link to all who register.
