{"id":11565426,"date":"2025-07-18T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T12:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11565426"},"modified":"2025-07-18T14:48:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T18:48:33","slug":"court-assisted-treatment-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/18\/court-assisted-treatment-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Penn North overdoses put focus on court-assisted treatment options"},"content":{"rendered":"

The city\u2019s addiction crisis reached a disturbing new level last week when 27 people overdosed<\/a> on the same batch of drugs in the Penn North neighborhood \u2014 a community long associated with Baltimore\u2019s drug epidemic.<\/p>\n

The mass overdose raised a few questions for Spotlight on Maryland: What needs to be done to help someone struggling with addiction enter recovery? And is arresting them the answer?<\/p>\n

For one man, the justice system played a pivotal role in his recovery.<\/p>\n

Once homeless and addicted to cocaine and fentanyl, Darren Dugan said he hit a breaking point in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it was by the grace of God I had been told about a program,\u201d Dugan said. \u201cI was done. It wasn\u2019t for me; it was for my kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

That moment of clarity came after time spent behind bars. For the first time, Dugan said he found extended recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did have a stipulation for probation that I needed to stay sober,\u201d he said. \u201cI was told, \u2018You\u2019re in a program now. You stay in that program, and you stick in that program because if you walk away from it, you\u2019ll be violated.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Dugan shares a message with others battling addiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat needs to be understood is that drug court is not a punishment,\u201d he said. \u201cProbation is not a punishment. Being remanded to the custody of a treatment center is not a punishment. These are all alternatives to incarceration.\u201d<\/p>\n

This kind of court-ordered intervention, while not always the first choice, can be the turning point for some people in active addiction.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Eldridge, a defense attorney and partner at Zealous Advocates in Baltimore, said he believes the criminal justice system acts as a last resort to connect people with treatment services.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not the idea of incarceration that\u2019s beneficial \u2014 or even prosecution ending in conviction,\u201d Eldridge said. \u201cIt\u2019s the idea of forcing that individual into the court systems that they can benefit from services. If they\u2019re compliant with such services, their charges could be dismissed at a later time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spotlight on Maryland asked the Baltimore City State\u2019s Attorney\u2019s Office whether the 27 individuals who overdosed in Penn North on July 10 should be arrested to get them into recovery.<\/p>\n

In response, the office said a citation docket may be better suited. These dockets are typically issued for quality-of-life offenses and can bring a person before a judge \u2014 not necessarily to jail, but to be connected with services.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, to bring people into court to offer treatment,\u201d Eldridge said. \u201cNot to place people in jail. Not to saddle them with convictions, but to offer wraparound services \u2014 including mental health and drug treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the overdose cluster, the open-air drug market in Penn North remained active in the days that followed. Spotlight on Maryland witnessed multiple people openly buying drugs and using them in the same area.<\/p>\n

Dugan said court intervention can be necessary, especially for those who feel stuck.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think in some instances, that\u2019s where a lot of people find some solidarity in themselves,\u201d he said. \u201cThe choices are to either lean into the help \u2014 or unfortunately, lean into eventual death.\u201d<\/p>\n