Prior contact with the criminal justice system among people who fatally overdosed on illicit drugs in Surrey and in British Columbia, 2011 to 2016 - ARCHIVED

This Juristat article examines a cohort of individuals who died of an illicit drug overdose in the province of British Columbia, with a special focus on the City of Surrey, between 2011 and 2016, and explores the nature and extent of their contact with the criminal justice system as a person accused of a crime. This analysis brings together data provided by the British Columbia Coroners Service with policing data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, and criminal court data from the Integrated Criminal Court Survey. Identifying the primary risk factors and those at greatest risk of preventable illicit drug-related deaths will help support the development of evidence-informed interventions, precision programming and policies aimed at preventing future overdoses and saving lives.