38 6. Reduce the involvement of opioid users in the criminal justice system In a major study, individuals who reported any level of opioid use were more likely than those who reported no opioid use to have physical and mental health conditions and co-occurring substance use. Involvement in the criminal justice system increased with the intensity of opioid use, and any level of opioid use was significantly associated with involvement in the criminal justice system in the previous year. The study concluded that policies are needed that reduce criminal justice involvement among individuals with substance use disorders.57 The value of diverting people from involvement with the criminal justice system has been clear since the 1970’s. Following recommendations from the President’s Crime Commission report in 1967, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration funded the creation of a program for Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) expressly to test ideas for the diversion of low-level defendants into treatment programs instead of supervision resulting from criminal