Inside California’s Program to Better Treat Addiction in Prisons

Written By Madelyn S

The New York Times, August 10, 2023: Inside California’s Program to Better Treat Addiction in Prisons

“The statistics on drug addiction in American prisons are stark.

“A majority of incarcerated Americans are estimated to have a substance-use disorder. And from 2001 to 2019, deaths in state prisons from drug or alcohol intoxication rose an enormous amount — by more than 600 percent.

“Despite these heightened risks and the country’s ongoing opioid crisis, there historically has been little addiction treatment in correctional facilities. California is now trying to change that.

“My colleague Noah Weiland, a health reporter for The Times, just published an article about a sprawling effort in California to treat addiction in prisons and jails. The state is one of only a few in the nation with a comprehensive treatment program across its prison system, something addiction and public health experts say is increasingly necessary.

“‘When someone leaves jail or prison not having been treated, their tolerance for powerful opioids can be diminished and their cravings can still be intense,’ Noah told me. ‘A bad batch or a dose that’s too strong can be quickly fatal.’

“California is on the vanguard of these efforts in part because the situation in the state’s prisons has become so dire. In 2019, California prisons recorded the highest overdose mortality rate for a state prison system nationwide, Noah reported.

“The same year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers approved an extensive plan across the state for opioid addiction treatment in prisons, which can dull cravings and prevent withdrawal. It’s part of a larger strategy that breaks from the more common approach seen in many states that emphasizes abstinence.”

Madelyn S
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