Through the decades our society has faced crisis after crisis: the Crack Epidemic, the 2008 Financial Crisis, the Opioid Crisis, COVID-19 and innumerable events have directly impact the economic, social and emotional health of everyday people.

The criminal justice system in New York State sought to create a pathway in the court system to address mental health and substance abuse issues proliferating case after case, through the creation of Treatment Courts. However, the implementation of these court systems have not been uniform across municipalities. As a result, people are forced into unfair plea agreements and unsustainable treatment programs.

On this episode, Sophie Feal from the Legal Aid Bureau of Western New York's Holistic Representation Unit discusses advocacy efforts to standardized harm reduction principles and create wider accessibility of treatment courts in New York State.