From Stats to Solutions: Data-Driven Responses to Baton Rouge’s Opioid Crisis

East Baton Rouge has been ravaged by the opioid crisis that has affected much of America. With hundreds of overdose deaths within the parish each year, the majority of which involved opioids in some capacity, the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office (EBRDA) sought to combat this epidemic. The office applied for and was awarded a Smart Prosecution - Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant with the goals of reducing the number of overdose deaths and enhancing prosecutions of individuals who contribute to those deaths. EBRDA has used its grant to produce data which in turn is used to develop innovative, economical, and effective strategies and programs.

Presenters will examine the EBRDA’s IPS project and describe its success and challenges. They will focus on how other jurisdictions can use their information and data to create similar programs that will provide lasting impacts in the community. This presentation will provide insight into different strategies that offices can pursue as they work to combat the opioid overdose epidemic.

At the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:
- Use data to assess and respond to the opioid abuse and overdose crisis in their community
- Identify traditional and non-traditional criminal justice partners to assist in responding to the opioid crisis
- Evaluate their response to the opioid crisis

This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-23-GK-00708-JAGP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.