"While the spirit of opioid settlement funds is to abate the addiction crisis, Louisiana’s unique structure has allowed sheriffs to allocate significant portions to law enforcement equipment, sparking debate over the most effective use of this critical ‘blood money.’"
Louisiana stands as a singular case study in the national effort to address the opioid crisis, with its sheriffs uniquely positioned to direct a substantial portion of opioid settlement funds. A comprehensive investigation by KFF Health News in collaboration with The Current, Gulf States Newsroom, and Verite News has revealed a diverse landscape of spending among the state’s 64 sheriffs, highlighting a significant divergence between the intended purpose of these funds—abating addiction—and their actual allocation, which often favors law enforcement technology and equipment. This scrutiny comes as every state receives payouts from companies accused of fueling the nation’s overdose epidemic, but Louisiana’s carve-out of 20% of these funds for sheriffs represents the largest allocation to law enforcement nationwide.
The independent nature of Louisiana’s elected sheriffs, who possess their own budgets and are not beholden to other local officials, coupled with a lack of mandatory public reporting on settlement fund expenditures, has created a complex environment for oversight. This opacity makes it challenging for the public to track the allocation of these funds, which many view as "blood money" – compensation for lives lost and a crucial resource that should be exclusively dedicated to addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts. The collaborative five-month investigation, involving numerous public records requests, marks the first detailed accounting of millions spent by these sheriffs.
The national conversation surrounding the role of law enforcement in utilizing opioid settlement funds intensified significantly in 2022 as these funds began to flow in substantial amounts. This debate has persisted and grown as the total pool of money has expanded. The fallout from the opioid crisis, perpetuated by companies like Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, has led to multi-billion dollar settlements, with payouts expected to continue for over a decade. These funds have been widely perceived as a "pot of gold" by various entities, including government agencies and private organizations, all vying for a share.
Law enforcement agencies assert that their efforts in drug interdiction and dealer arrests are vital in saving lives, arguing that these activities incur significant costs and that the addiction crisis has strained their budgets. However, a significant contingent of recovery advocates vehemently opposes any allocation of opioid settlement cash to what they perceive as the "failed war on drugs," emphasizing that the primary goal should be addressing the root causes and consequences of addiction. Without stringent regulations on how these funds are dispersed, local political interpretations of addiction and effective intervention strategies often dictate spending decisions, making Louisiana a critical site for observing the interplay between public health and public safety priorities.
Louisiana’s agreement regarding settlement funds provides broad categories for "law enforcement expenditures relating to the opioid epidemic," offering considerable latitude in how sheriffs can utilize these resources. However, addiction and public health experts caution that legal compliance does not necessarily equate to appropriate or effective spending. Danny Bolner Jr., a Jefferson Parish resident with over two decades of recovery and whose son died of a fentanyl overdose, articulated this concern, stating, "What’s happening here is they have a lot of money and they want to distribute it to all the wrong places." Bolner, representing families who have lost loved ones to the crisis, expressed a preference for investing in youth education on emotional well-being, job training for individuals in recovery, and the distribution of overdose reversal medications, emphasizing that this finite resource is crucial for saving lives.
The investigation revealed instances where sheriffs’ offices procured items such as drones and vehicles, which struck Bolner as misaligned with the core mission of addressing the opioid crisis. Tricia Christensen, a public health policy analyst and national opioid settlement expert who served as a reviewer, emphasized that expenditures should facilitate arrests or prevent overdoses. She stated, "The impetus of this opioid settlement money is to spend on innovative ways to not let this happen again," and urged sheriffs to consider how these funds could reinvest in the community rather than solely bolstering their own departments.
Specific expenditures that drew scrutiny included the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office’s purchase of a safe for evidence storage from opioid investigations and a scanner for their traffic division to detect narcotics. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office allocated $465,000 for Flock cameras, automated license plate readers that share data with law enforcement agencies nationwide. The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office acquired 130 body cameras and 50 dash cameras. Christensen and other reviewers argued that sheriffs already receive taxpayer dollars and federal grants for such law enforcement tools, and that the finite nature and specific purpose of opioid settlement cash should preclude these purchases. Some states, in fact, explicitly prohibit such uses.
Kevin Cobb, executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, countered that sheriffs’ budgets are indeed strained, and taxpayer funds may not cover all necessary equipment for complex investigations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking syndicates. Casey Rayborn Hicks, spokesperson for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, stated that while treatment and recovery services are essential, law enforcement plays an equally vital role in preventing deadly drugs from reaching communities in the first place. First Lt. Blake Tabor, a spokesperson for the Terrebonne sheriff’s office, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing their focus on disrupting criminal activity that fuels addiction. The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on their expenditures.
In contrast to the focus on enforcement, some sheriffs have directed settlement funds towards public health initiatives. Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson allocated all his settlement funds to provide treatment within the jail, aiming to break cycles of addiction and crime and facilitate individuals’ return to productive society. Research supports the efficacy of providing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in correctional facilities, demonstrating reductions in recidivism and overdose deaths. In St. Martin Parish, settlement funds supported a specialized team of officers dedicated to connecting individuals with substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health conditions to treatment and support services for their families. Chester Cedars, chief legal counsel for the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s office, described their role as a "broker" between those in need and service providers.
Stephen Loyd, an addiction medicine doctor and the West Virginia drug czar, who served as a reviewer, praised the comprehensive nature of programs like the one in St. Martin Parish, recognizing addiction as a complex family issue. Notably, both Cedars, former chair, and Gibson, current chair, of the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force, are leading efforts to guide the priority use of settlement cash. Cedars affirmed that the St. Martin sheriff’s office was not using any funds for enforcement, aligning with his interpretation of the settlement’s intent. Gibson, while acknowledging the broad legal guidelines, expressed that he is "not here to criticize anybody" and has advised other sheriffs seeking guidance, though adherence is not mandatory.
A 2025 report by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor highlighted the task force’s limited authority to enforce its recommendations. Sheriff Gibson suggested that state lawmakers would need to enact new legislation to establish stronger oversight on how opioid settlement funds are utilized.
In response to these concerns, the Louisiana state legislature passed a resolution in May calling for the legislative auditor to review how all parishes and sheriffs are managing their opioid settlement money, with a report due before the 2027 legislative session. State Sen. Brach Myers, a co-author of the resolution, stated the objective is to illuminate fund distribution, identify jurisdictions that are not spending the money, and assess the effectiveness of funded programs, which could lead to legislative action to "tighten up how funding is spent."
Meanwhile, the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force is actively pursuing enhanced oversight mechanisms. Curtis Nelson, executive counsel for the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Administration Corporation, indicated the task force is seeking proposals for forensic audits of parishes and sheriffs, with a goal of auditing 10 to 15 entities annually, prioritizing those receiving the largest allocations. The task force also has the authority to withhold future payments from entities found to be misusing funds. Furthermore, the task force is exploring the creation of an "unallowable list" of expenditures, similar to those implemented in other states.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill did not respond to inquiries regarding their support for an unallowable list or other measures to address opioid settlement spending. However, many advocates express hope that such a list could curb spending they deem inappropriate. Bolner believes that clearly defining what funds cannot be used for will help keep sheriffs on the intended track. While awaiting enhanced oversight, Bolner continues his advocacy, distributing overdose reversal medications, participating in grief support groups, and raising awareness about addiction, all while engaging with sheriffs and parishes to promote what he considers the most effective use of settlement funds, with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
Methodology
Reporters from KFF Health News, The Current, Gulf States Newsroom, and Verite News collaborated to contact all 64 Louisiana sheriff’s offices, requesting information on their opioid settlement fund expenditures. This extensive outreach involved numerous emails and phone calls conducted between March and July. Offices that did not respond or failed to provide specific financial details were categorized as "Did not provide expenditures." All other responses were compiled into a comprehensive data table.
The projected amount of settlement money allocated to each sheriff’s office through 2025 was obtained from a public spreadsheet provided by the Louisiana Opioid Abatement Task Force, summing allocations for years 1 through 5 (2021-2025). In instances where a sheriff’s office reported spending exceeding its allocated amount, it was often due to the combination of their share with funds from parish governments or other sources, or potentially the inclusion of funds from the 2026 allocation.
The collected data was analyzed using two distinct methods. First, reporters created an anonymized list of expenditures, removing sheriff’s office names, and submitted it to three reviewers: Tricia Christensen, a public health policy expert; Stephen Loyd, an addiction medicine doctor and former chair of Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council; and Danny Bolner Jr., an individual in recovery who lost his son to overdose. Each reviewer voted on the appropriateness of each expenditure, with a majority decision determining its classification. The percentage of expenditures deemed inappropriate by the panel was then calculated for each sheriff’s office. The second analytical approach involved comparing Louisiana’s sheriff expenditures against "unallowable lists" from six states (California, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, South Carolina, and Virginia) that have identified specific uses for opioid settlement funds. The percentage of expenditures that would be deemed unallowable or not recommended in one or more of these states was calculated for each Louisiana sheriff’s office.
The Current’s Alena Maschke, Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins, and Verite News’ Katie Jane Fernelius contributed to the database featured in this article.
