Treating Addiction Behind Bars

  • Article


Name

Treating Addiction Behind Bars

Description

More than 60 percent of people incarcerated in the U.S. suffer from addiction. Philadelphia jails could offer a model for helping them get — and stay — sober

Types

Article

Authors

Courtney DuChene

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Claims from

Philadelphia's jails have enabled individuals with opioid addiction to continue harm-reducing medication treatments.
The concentration of addiction within detention centers presents an opportunity for effective rehabilitation.
MAT is more commonly provided in prisons than in jails due to differences in the length of inmate stays.
Expanding MAT programs can be costly, with examples of high expenses such as monthly injections.
Drug addiction is prevalent among detained individuals, with addiction rates in jails being four times higher (65 percent) than in the general U.S. population (16.5 percent).
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted Philadelphia's Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment Interventions for Offenders Needing Support (OPTIONS) program, impacting its effectiveness.
Philadelphia has been a leader in offering addiction treatment within its city jails for 30 years.
Rhode Island saw a 61 percent reduction in post-incarceration overdose deaths after introducing mandatory MAT in prisons.
MAT, combining pharmaceuticals with counseling and therapy, is highly effective for treating opioid use disorder.
Philadelphia's Department of Prisons has maintained anti-addiction medication regimes for hundreds of offenders each year.
A study revealed that 40 percent of female detainees in Philadelphia continue addiction treatment upon release.
The opioid epidemic has incurred significant societal costs, including economic and emotional burdens, with an estimated cost of nearly $1.5 trillion in the U.S. in 2020.
Senator Cory Booker introduced the Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act to extend MAT services in correctional facilities, potentially requiring additional funding through Medicaid.

Publish date

10

Month
/

17

Day
/

2023

Year

12

:

00

am

Publisher

The Philadelphia Citizen

Tags

Demo

Topics

Substance use disorder (SUD)
Society

Web URL

https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/treating-addiction-behind-bars/