On October 1, the National Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium (LETTAC) program was launched by longstanding partners the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), with support from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Developed for our criminal justice colleagues in the field, LETTAC is a streamlined, comprehensive program for OVW grantees (and potential grantees) to request law enforcement-related technical assistance tailored to their communities and priorities, access online materials and training 24/7, and stay up-to-date on the latest funding and other opportunities from OVW, stakeholders, and partners. LETTAC is committed to helping all members of the law enforcement family—including prosecutors, civilian staff, and call center personnel—respond to, investigate, and prosecute Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) crimes (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking in tribal communities) in ways that hold offenders accountable and promote healing, safety, and justice for victims and survivors.

The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) is proud to announce the launch of the free, e-learning course Understanding Overdose Risk and Medication Efficacy, developed in partnership with the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the HEAL Initiative at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Addiction Policy Forum. Prosecutors play a pivotal role in connecting people with substance use disorders to community treatment and reduce the demand on the justice system by offering evidence-informed solutions to reduce substance use and recidivism. Changing how the justice system responds requires expanding knowledge around best practices to treat and care for individuals struggling with substance use disorders. This course was designed to help educate prosecutors and their staff on medications to treat opioid use disorder and their effectiveness for people involved with the criminal justice system. Participants will learn about the three FDA-approved medications, the difference between an agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist medication, and who is most likely to benefit from each medication.