In a unique approach to opioid settlement payouts, Louisiana has set aside 20% of its funds for sheriffs, the largest such allocation nationwide. This move has sparked questions about transparency and the appropriate use of these dollars, intended to combat the addiction crisis that has claimed over a million lives since 2000.
Sheriffs’ Spending: A Closer Look
To shed light on how these funds are being used, a collaborative effort between KFF Health News and three Louisiana news outlets contacted all 64 sheriffs in the state. The results, detailed in a data table, offer insights into where the money is going and whether it’s meeting the spirit of the settlements.
Thirty-eight sheriffs reported spending more than $8.1 million, with much of it going towards crime-fighting equipment like surveillance cameras and drug detection tools. However, $5.4 million, or 66% of the reported spending, was deemed inappropriate by a review panel. This panel, consisting of a Louisiana resident in recovery, an addiction medicine doctor, and a public health policy analyst, judged expenditures based on their professional and personal expertise.
Appropriate and Inappropriate Expenditures
The panel disapproved of expenditures such as salaries and overtime pay for detectives and officers, as well as items like drones and vehicles. Meanwhile, nine sheriffs stood out for promising uses of their funds, with all their expenditures deemed appropriate and allowable in other states. These included providing addiction treatment in jails, training officers to respond to overdoses, and increasing public awareness of addiction resources.
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However, 20 sheriffs did not provide their expenditures, leaving roughly $10.7 million unaccounted for. Notably, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, allotted the highest amount, did not respond to requests for information.
Nationwide, debates over law enforcement’s role in spending opioid settlement money have been ongoing since the funds began flowing significantly in 2022. While some argue that seizing drugs and arresting dealers saves lives, many recovery advocates oppose any opioid cash being directed towards law enforcement.
Louisiana provides a unique case study in this debate. With its broad categories for allowable spending and independent sheriffs, the state offers a natural experiment in how priorities for combating addiction play out when money is handed directly to law enforcement.
However, even if the sheriffs’ spending is legal, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s appropriate or effective, according to addiction and public health experts. For instance, purchases of drones, vehicles, and surveillance equipment may not align with the spirit of the settlements, which aim to prevent overdoses and reinvest in communities.
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Some sheriffs, like Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson and St. Martin Parish, have used their settlement funds to provide addiction treatment in jails and create programs that connect people with substance use disorders to treatment and support services. These initiatives have been praised for their full nature and potential to break cycles of addiction and crime.
The Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force is exploring ways to strengthen its oversight, including considering an unallowable list like those in other states. Meanwhile, advocates like Danny Bolner Jr., a Jefferson Parish resident who lost his son to overdose, continue to raise awareness and encourage more effective use of settlement money.
As the pool of opioid settlement money grows, with Purdue Pharma’s $7.4 billion bankruptcy finalized and other settlements set to pay out for an additional decade, the question of how these funds are spent remains a pressing one. Louisiana’s approach offers insights into the complex interplay of law enforcement, public health, and community priorities in addressing the opioid crisis.
