May 22, 2025:  Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack and Perry County District Attorney Clay Merris along with Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced today the launch of the Cumberland and Perry County Law Enforcement Treatment Initiatives. Also speaking at today’s LETI launch press conference were Brenda Iliff-Lawver (Cumberland-Perry Drug& Alcohol Commission Director), Steve Barndt (JFT Recovery and Veterans Services) Christopher Raubenstine (Silver Spring Township Police Chief) and Megan Zabinski (Certified Recovery Specialist).

• "Bringing the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) to Cumberland County will add yet another important tool to our crime prevention arsenal.  Substance use disorders are the root cause of a significant percentage of crime in Cumberland County.  Treatment of substance use disorders is a proven crime prevention tool.  The LETI program is designed to provide treatment to low level non-violent offenders to set them on a path to be productive members of society.  We look forward to partnering with the Attorney General in this worthwhile endeavor." -Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack

Megan Zabinski, who is in recovery herself, shared her story of recovery and how her arrest in 2018 became an unexpected blessing.  She spoke of the importance of programs like LETI to help people with substance use disorders to turn their lives around.  Megan now works in Cumberland County’s treatment courts as a certified recovery specialist to help others navigate their own road to recovery.      

Drug overdoses constitute Pennsylvania’s most complex public safety challenge, causing a record number of deaths and directly and tangentially related involvement with criminal justice systems, at a high expense to communities. On the demand side of the epidemic, those suffering with a substance use disorder (SUD) need alternative responses that enhance treatment options and promote available support. A collaborative effort was made between the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Cumberland County and Perry County District Attorneys to develop the Cumberland and Perry County Law Enforcement Treatment Initiatives (LETI) to address the demand side of the drug epidemic in efforts to reduce incarceration, improve public safety, and prevent overdose deaths.

• "LETI strengthens our commitment to public safety by ensuring that individuals struggling with addiction are held accountable in a way that addresses the root cause of their behavior. By steering low-level drug offenders into treatment rather than traditional prosecution, we reduce repeat offenses, conserve law enforcement resources, and focus our courtroom efforts on the most serious threats to our communities." -Perry County District Attorney Clay Merris

The Cumberland County Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative is a harm reduction approach that seeks to accomplish the goals of reducing criminal behavior and improving public safety by connecting individuals who have substance use disorders with treatment and other community resources. Law enforcement departments across Cumberland and Perry Counties will partner with Cumberland-Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission and JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services to connect individuals seeking help with the most appropriate treatment services. Cumberland-Perry Drug and Alcohol will conduct a screening and assessment of the individual’s needs to determine the appropriate level of care. The representative may also offer additional case management services and links to other ancillary services.

McCormack commented during the press conference, “While the LETI program is new to Cumberland County, the concept of law enforcement helping individuals with substance use disorders is not new.  The LETI program will be a perfect addition to other programs we already have in place in Cumberland County.  Many departments in Cumberland County have already been partnering with JFT Recovery and Veteran Services and their “warm handoff” program.  Cumberland County has long supported the concept of diversionary treatment courts to address, and reduce, the relationship between substance use disorders and criminal activity.  All these programs have one thing in common: reducing criminal behavior and improving public safety by connecting individuals who have substance use disorders with treatment and other community resources.”