Deal Us In
What You Need To Know
Despite the substantial evidence supporting MOUD, few jails or prisons offer this treatment. Moreover, upon release or diversion from the criminal justice system, most individuals are not connected with MAT services in the community.*
Methadone and buprenorphine are the gold standard when treating OUD. However, Vivitrol, a monthly injection of long-acting naltrexone, is often preferred by the criminal prosecution system, including jails, prisons, probation officers and drug courts. This is in part because it is not a controlled substance, unlike the other two medications, and in part because the drug’s maker, Alkermes, has heavily promoted it to those markets by claiming it is as safe as the other medications and easier to administer since it doesn’t have to be taken daily.
People on Vivitrol are more than twice as likely to overdose as those on Suboxone. Its preferential use in the criminal justice system must stop.
People deserve choice and must be educated on the benefit and risk of any medication they take.
Funds should be given to begin new programs and expand existing ones. Funds should NOT be used to supplant other existing funds devoted to this purpose.
A study found that, in the two weeks following their release, people who had been incarcerated in state prisons were 129 times more likely to die from an overdose compared to the general public.*
Where to Go for More Information
“Everyone leaving jail or prison should be offered naloxone kits that can be used to reverse an overdose.” - Jail-Based MAT: Promising Practices, Guidelines and Resources by The National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the National Sheriffs’ Association
Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings - SAMHSA
Overdose Deaths and Jail Incarceration - Vera Institute