Incarceration

Overview of the jail-based Medication Assisted Treatment program within the Adult Detention Center in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Over the past 20 years, drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically in the United States. Most of these deaths involved opioids, including prescription pain medications, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. These are called opioid-related overdoses and often occur as a result of respiratory depression caused by opioids, even when other medications and drugs are involved.

IMPORTANCE Thousands of pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD) enter US jails annually, yet their access to medications for OUD (MOUD) that meet the standard of care (methadone and/or buprenorphine) is unknown. OBJECTIVE To assess the availability of MOUD for the treatment of pregnant individuals with OUD in US jails.

A disproportionate number of people in jails have substance use disorders (SUDs).1 Incarceration provides a valuable opportunity for identifying SUD and addressing withdrawal.* Within the first few hours and days of detainment, individuals who have suddenly stopped using alcohol, opioids, or other drugs may experience withdrawal symptoms, particularly when they have used the substances heavily or long-term. Without its identification and timely subsequent medical attention, withdrawal can lead to serious injury or death. Deaths from withdrawal are preventable, and jail administrators have a pressing responsibility to establish and implement withdrawal policy and protocols that will save lives and ensure legal compliance. This brief describes the scope of the challenge, provides an overview of constitutional rights and key legislation related to substance use withdrawal, and outlines steps for creating a comprehensive response to SUD.

In this webinar you will hear from Fair Chance employers and advocates. They will offer insights into the benefits of fair chance employment (for formerly incarcerated or otherwise justice impacted people) and outline opportunities to take steps toward becoming a Fair Chance employer.

This brief reviews the history, harms, pathways and trends that treat children as if they were adults

Rural Community Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grantees discussed their efforts and initiatives working with criminal justice and corrections agencies to engage individuals who are incarcerated.

The telehealth implementation support tool is intended to be completed in around 20 minutes by a jail administrator, who may need input from other stakeholders. This evidence-based tool involves a self-administered questionnaire coupled with tip sheets on topics related to telehealth readiness, implementation and continuous improvement that stakeholders working with criminal justice partners can use when implementing telehealth for the first time or when expanding their implementation.

Discharge planning is recognized as an essential component of psychiatric care. Patients released from inpatient facilities can reasonably expect to be given prescriptions for needed medications (or the medications themselves) and a referral to a mental health professional who can provide follow-up care. Do the same expectations apply to correctional facilities, which today house so many people with serious mental illnesses?

Your First 48 Toolkit is a Durham County resource guide for successful reentry within 48 hours after incarceration and beyond by connecting you to resources and service providers that help overcome the barriers to a successful reentry. Returning to your community with a criminal record can be a difficult task due to the collateral consequence of incarceration that limits access to employment, housing, healthcare, and education. Your First 48 Toolkit promotes social and economic independence through relationship building, strong community involvement, education and public support. The Toolkit will help you foresee barriers to a successful reentry and identify likely solutions by informing you of who to connect with and what questions to ask.