WHEN YOU ARE READY

Recent crime research shows that the criminal justice system is responsible for a large population of individuals most at-risk for overdose. Specifically, 85% of incarcerated individuals either reported suffering from a substance use disorder or were incarcerated for a crime involving drug use. As such, the District Attorney pursues strategies that simultaneously improve public safety and public health. The “When You Are Ready” Campaign (WYAR) is a cross-sector public health and safety partnership that was created by subject matter experts and peers with lived experience, whom are employed by the District Attorney, in collaboration with influential leaders in the community it serves. WYAR is an innovative, effective and sustainable response to the overdose crisis plaguing East Baton Rouge Parish. It addresses the information silos and access barriers between public health, public safety and community organizations. The goal is to reduce the number of lives lost, and families destroyed, by fatal drug overdose.

The District Attorney continues to support the campaign through equipping all community stakeholders with data on overdose “hotspots.” WYAR uses this data to inform its targeted overdose intervention strategies such as its “Sober Saturday” street outreach events. These events dispatch volunteers (often loved ones of overdose victims or individuals from the recovery community) into the areas which data shows has the highest concentrations of overdoses. These volunteers are then better able to share life-saving resources (i.e., Narcan and push-card) with those most in need. The push-cards provide a list of phone numbers for help, for whenever you’re ready to change. Most importantly, these volunteers share hope.