HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On Thursday, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren announced the launch of a new program designed to prevent crime where it starts and stop people from re-offending.
DETRR, which stands for Drug Education & Treatment Reducing Recidivism, will give low-risk drug offenders who are accused of no other serious crimes an off-ramp out of the downward spiral of drug use, arrests, and incarceration.
"Legally I would be somewhere in prison maybe somewhere in Ocala and missing out having these great moments with my son," veteran Chris Harmon said.
Harmon went through a similar program that helped change the path of his life.
"I was given a chance, sometimes a veteran or civilian only needs a chance to make their lives better," Harmon said.
The new effort is the first-ever program like it in Hillsborough County and aims to increase the community's safety by targeting drug and alcohol use — the root cause of more than 80 percent of all crimes. Offenders who qualify for DETRR will have to take specific steps to succeed in the program, ranging from not getting arrested for six months to completing substance abuse therapy.
"This is for low-risk drug offenders who are accused of no other serious crimes. It's not for drug dealers, violent offenders or anyone deemed high risk," Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said.
"I guarantee you this program is totally worth it. You just have to make sure you work the program. It will be difficult but you can do it, just focus on putting one foot in front of the other," Harmon said.
Thursday's launch of DETRR corresponds with the county's re-start of jury trials and follows a pilot program that began earlier this year.
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