TROY – Troy City Court will become the first in the area and 14th in the state to start an opioid court, a judicial option that emphasizes treatment for nonviolent offenders struggling with addiction.

The court is modeled on one started in May 2017 in Buffalo. During that court’s first 18 months, 432 people went through the program, according to the Buffalo News; two died of overdoses during that period.

Since then, similar courts have opened in Niagara Falls, the Bronx, Staten Island, Syracuse and elsewhere around the state.

Opioid courts are a relatively new response to the opioid crisis. Unlike other drug courts, they're designed to get offenders immediate medical assistance to prevent overdoses.

“We’re trying to get to these people as soon as possible,” said Judge Chris Maier, who will oversee the Troy court.

Troy is the first court in the Third Judicial District, which covers seven counties, to have an opioid court. Troy City Court is the busiest judicial center in Rensselaer County and the city has the right concentration of services to help offenders, Maier said.

Opioid-related overdoses have steadily increased in the past few years in Rensselaer County. According to the county Health Department, 30 people died from opioid overdoses in 2017, and 33 died in 2016. Additionally, the state reported 681 clients in Rensselaer County were admitted to chemical dependence treatment programs in 2016. That increased to 730 in 2017.

Nationally, opioid-related deaths in 2017 were higher than peak deaths over the past 50 years from car crashes, guns or HIV-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maier emphasized that the opioid court does not mean that offenders won't be prosecuted. Instead, it puts a priority on having them initiate their recoveries before resolving their legal issues. The program focuses on defendants who commit nonviolent misdemeanors and low-level nonviolent felonies.

It also requires collaboration from first responders, health care providers and the rest of the judicial system.

Maier credited Troy police and St. Mary’s Hospital for their willingness to participate in the program.

Deputy Chief Dan DeWolf said there was some initial skepticism, but the department came around to the idea once it was clear that defendants weren’t getting a free pass.

“Many times, these property crimes and petty offenses committed by those addicted is occurring because they’re feeding their habit,” DeWolf said. “The sooner an addict can get the help necessary to get on the road to recovery, the better — it’s a win for the addict and the community.”

The program will require Troy police to screen defendants after they're arrested. The resource coordinator for the Troy Regional Treatment Court examines the answers and recommends possible candidates for opioid court.

Maier said the program is voluntary, and the answers are based on self-reporting. If the offenders don’t want the help, the court doesn’t penalize them. Their cases move forward as they normally would.

Before they're arraigned, those who enter the program will be sent to an ambulatory detox program at St. Mary’s. While there, they can receive suboxone to help wean them off opioids.

To stay in the program, they have to be in court five days a week, are drug-tested daily and must go to the St. Mary’s detox program daily as well. If they fail to meet the requirements, their case can be returned to normal judicial channels.

Defendants who follow the opioid court program can then become eligible for drug court.

Maier said he expects other courts in the area to eventually start their own version of opioid court, but much of it depends on available services and the courts' caseloads.