A10866 - Jessica Nicole Gentile Law Summary

• Establishes a dedicated opioid rehabilitation facility operated by the Office of Addiction Services and Supports as a secured, residential alternative to incarceration for opioid-addicted criminal defendants diverted from drug courts.

• Allows drug court judges to refer eligible defendants (excluding those charged with class A/B felonies or violent felonies) to the facility for 1-2 years of treatment instead of prison, contingent on a written sentencing agreement.

• Requires defendants to reside in gender-separated and age-segregated dormitories (4-6 per unit) with treatment staff, counselors, and corrections officers; discharge occurs after one year of successful treatment or after two years maximum, whichever comes first.

• Provides that defendants discharged successfully must transition to a halfway house for 2 months to 2 years with potential relapse prevention counseling, and may become eligible for probation with time served credited toward their sentence.

• Limits referrals to the facility to two times per defendant and restricts eligibility to defendants whose primary addiction is opioids; requires a five-year study on recidivism reduction and cost savings compared to incarceration.