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DALLAS, Texas — Dallas County District Attorney candidate Eric Reed today called for a comprehensive approach to addiction and crime that holds people accountable, expands access to structured treatment and focuses prosecutorial resources on traffickers and offenders who threaten public safety.
Dallas County recorded 558 overdose deaths in 2024, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services. Fentanyl remained the leading cause of overdose deaths, while stimulants also contributed significantly. County hospitals reported 3,818 fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses in 2023, compared with 2,419 in 2018.
“Addiction is not cured by a jail cell, and treatment is not a free pass,” Reed said. “Dallas County should hold people accountable while using proven treatment to stop the behavior that brings them back into the system. Public safety means breaking the cycle, not paying to repeat it.”
Reed said an effective policy must distinguish among people who profit from addiction, people whose conduct presents a serious danger and those whose lower-level offenses are driven primarily by substance-use disorder.
Drug traffickers, particularly those responsible for distributing fentanyl and other lethal substances, must face serious prosecution. People who commit violent crimes must be held accountable for the harm they cause. But repeatedly arresting and releasing people whose conduct is driven by untreated addiction does little to prevent the next offense.
“Treatment cannot become an automatic escape from accountability,” Reed said. “It must be structured, closely supervised and tied to clear expectations. When someone refuses to comply or continues to endanger others, there must be consequences. When treatment works, Dallas County should be prepared to recognize and build on that success.”
As District Attorney, Reed would direct the office to:
• Identify eligible cases earlier. Prosecutors would use validated screening and assessment tools to identify substance-use disorders and determine whether treatment, diversion or a specialty court offers a responsible alternative to traditional prosecution.
• Require individualized treatment plans. Eligible participants would receive clinically appropriate care that could include residential or outpatient treatment, counseling, medication-assisted treatment, substance-use testing and recovery support.
• Maintain meaningful accountability. Participation would require regular court supervision, compliance with treatment, restitution when appropriate and graduated consequences for violations.
• Protect continuity of care. Prosecutors would work with courts, the jail, health providers and community organizations to prevent treatment and medication from being interrupted when someone enters or leaves custody.
• Measure and publish results. The office would report referrals, acceptances, completion rates, costs and the effect of each program on repeat offenses and public safety.
Dallas County already uses substance-use assessments, specialty courts, community treatment referrals and medication-assisted treatment for some eligible defendants. Reed said the next District Attorney should determine whether those programs are reaching the right people, producing measurable results and providing continuity after release.
Reed developed a similar approach decades before many criminal justice systems embraced treatment as a public-safety strategy. On the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, Reed worked with tribal agencies, service providers and community leaders, where he pioneered a groundbreaking response that included treatment for incarcerated people, probationers and individuals who sought help voluntarily.
The program incorporated substance-use treatment, psychological care, counseling and behavioral intervention. Participants also received support with employment, literacy, GED preparation, vocational training, college applications, parenting and communication skills.
“Recovery requires more than a court date and an order to stop using drugs,” Reed said. “People need treatment, supervision and a realistic path back into the community. That does not eliminate personal responsibility. It gives accountability a purpose by helping people change the conduct that brought them into the system.”
Reed said the District Attorney’s Office cannot solve addiction alone. Effective intervention requires coordination among prosecutors, law enforcement, courts, medical professionals, treatment providers, recovery organizations and families.
“Dallas County can be tough on traffickers, protect the public and still recognize that addiction requires treatment,” Reed said. “Those goals do not compete with one another. Together, they create a smarter and more effective criminal justice system.”
About Eric Reed for District Attorney
Eric Reed is a Dallas trial attorney and former prosecutor with more than three decades of experience in criminal law, federal and tribal courts, and complex litigation. He is running as a write-in candidate for Dallas County District Attorney on a commitment to Promote Public Safety • Demand Fairness • Ensure Accountability.
To vote for Eric Reed, select the write-in option in the Dallas County District Attorney race and enter the name Eric Reed.
For more information, visit www.WriteinReed.com.