Advocates for people experiencing homelessness from Housekeys Action Network Denver blasted the mayor during public comment period Monday.
First, Ana Miller took him to task on his Roads to Recovery plan. Roads to Recovery is a new Denver program where people with minor criminal offenses can go to rehab instead of jail. Miller said it’s akin to forced treatment and “you cannot force an addict to quit.” Miller said she is eight years sober from heroin.
Miller said the mayor’s program simply puts people in sober living homes for 90 days. She said there are no certified nurses or therapists on staff. Miller predicted that people addicted to drugs would detox for the 90 days and then return to using. She said their drug tolerances would be lowered during their time in the sober living home, making overdose upon relapse more likely.
Roads to Recovery details
During a presentation on Roads to Recovery to the council in July, the mayor’s office stated, “We lift people out of that cycle before additional contact with the criminal justice system, or by leveraging traditional criminal justice system contacts. People struggling with addiction or mental health enter a coordinated, high-touch system for immediate intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation.”