Hope Not Handcuffs is a campaign geared to eliminate the negative stigma often tied to victims of alcohol and drug abuse. This program acknowledges that making more arrests and drug busts is not conducive to ending the opioid and heroine abuse epidemic, especially in light of the fact that the number of deaths related to opioid and heroine overdoses has increased tremendously over the past five years according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The community-based program was started by Linda Davis, a former judge and prosecutor whose daughter battled heroin addiction. Davis stated to the Detroit Free Press that “”My belief is that we have a broken system. Treatment and access should be immediate.” Essentially, Hope Not Handcuffs is partnering with law enforcement agencies in order to give substance abuse victims an opportunity to get help even if they possess illegal drugs and/or paraphernalia. Hope Not Handcuffs is working towards changing the stigma from addicts as “criminals” to addicts as “victims” of a progressive disease that requires treatment. This movement has expanded rapidly since it was founded in 2017. Read more at a Local News Resource out of Hudson Valley.