Originally posted by Wanda Bertram on 03/17/2025
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Hello friends,
Prison Policy Initiative recently released a briefing that examines a recent report from the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) - the civilian oversight body for the state's prisons - on efforts to offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder for people behind bars.
Half of people in state prisons have substance use disorder, but accessing quality treatment while incarcerated is incredibly difficult. MAT, which combines counseling with prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), is widely considered the gold-standard of treatment but is particularly difficult to access behind bars.
In 2021, the state passed a law to dramatically expand access to this treatment behind bars for people with opioid dependence. The report from CANY provides a rare look at how this program has been administered and offers lessons to other states considering this path.
Spotlighting the rapid uptake of treatment once it was widely available, with participation increasing by 552% between 2022 and 2023;
Elevating the experiences of program participants, many of whom said it was beneficial.
Warnings about some challenges the program experienced, including challenges accessing timely healthcare behind bars, as well as stigma and retaliation from prison staff.
You can find our full briefing at: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/03/05/cany_moud_report/
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to chat about this briefing or any of our work.
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