Discussion
Changing the policy and making the opioid programs available for the incarcerated is an important step
in curbing the opioid epidemic. Most people in prison as a result of drug-related offenses or any other
offenses may get hooked on opioid use while in prison, or those who are already addicted need a way to
recover. It is thus important to have these policies in place in the event these cases arise. When those
released and had started the treatment to cure their addiction, it would be easier for them to get
rehabilitated and get better care when the outside. This shows how crucial it is to have this initiative in
prison, to begin with. Gordon et al. 's study were done to understand the importance of opioid programs
in jail, and the results were very decisive. The researcher compared three groups that were heroin
addicts and were imprisoned in Baltimore prison. The first group participated in counseling while in
prison, the second group received counseling and participated in Methadone Maintenance Treatment
(MMT) when they were released, and the third group was involved in MMT and counseling while in
prison and upon release they were referred to MMT. The results of this both short term (3 months) and
long term (6 and 12 months) showed that those inmates who received MMT treatment and counseling
were able to adhere to the community treatment they were receiving, had lower rates of opioid use,
and were less likely to be re-incarcerated compared to those who only received counseling only while in
prison. This is regardless of whether they were referred to as MMT treatment after release or not.
Another study looked to compare imprisoned persons and the history they have on the use of heroin. In
this one, the participants were given into1of 4 conditions randomly: one group was put under
Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT) and upon release had treatment at an (Opioid Agonist
Treatment) OAT program, after receiving BMT treatment in prison the second group continued to
receive treatment from the outside too, the third group only had counseling from an OAT center when
they were released, and the final group had counseling while in prison and were only treated upon their
release in a community health center. The researchers discovered that the participants who received
BMT in prison and continued this at an OAT program after the end of their sentence were more likely to
join a community treatment program after they left prison. Those who started the treatment while in
prison also had a higher treatment retention rate after 12 months in comparison to those who only
started treatment after leaving prison.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 2017, discovered that" the rate of death from opioid
overdose was 120 times higher from the recently released from prison in comparison to those in the
community". In a more alarming case, it was discovered in 2015 that 50% of all deaths of those who had
been previously incarcerated were due to opioid use. This is astonishing since treatment methods that
have been tried and tested are available, but they are just not there for those who are incarcerated to
access.
The medication-assisted treatment has proven to be an effective method to treat people with opioid use
disorders. Its effectiveness can be attributed to its ability to combine counseling and small doses of
opioids. This, of course, depends on the used medication; it reduces the cravings in the patients and
reduces the chances of one getting high off the opiates used. The Rhode Island Department of
corrections in the summer of 2016 altered their prison policy and introduced a new program that
Changing the policy and making the opioid programs available for the incarcerated is an important step
in curbing the opioid epidemic. Most people in prison as a result of drug-related offenses or any other
offenses may get hooked on opioid use while in prison, or those who are already addicted need a way to
recover. It is thus important to have these policies in place in the event these cases arise. When those
released and had started the treatment to cure their addiction, it would be easier for them to get
rehabilitated and get better care when the outside. This shows how crucial it is to have this initiative in
prison, to begin with. Gordon et al. 's study were done to understand the importance of opioid programs
in jail, and the results were very decisive. The researcher compared three groups that were heroin
addicts and were imprisoned in Baltimore prison. The first group participated in counseling while in
prison, the second group received counseling and participated in Methadone Maintenance Treatment
(MMT) when they were released, and the third group was involved in MMT and counseling while in
prison and upon release they were referred to MMT. The results of this both short term (3 months) and
long term (6 and 12 months) showed that those inmates who received MMT treatment and counseling
were able to adhere to the community treatment they were receiving, had lower rates of opioid use,
and were less likely to be re-incarcerated compared to those who only received counseling only while in
prison. This is regardless of whether they were referred to as MMT treatment after release or not.
Another study looked to compare imprisoned persons and the history they have on the use of heroin. In
this one, the participants were given into1of 4 conditions randomly: one group was put under
Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT) and upon release had treatment at an (Opioid Agonist
Treatment) OAT program, after receiving BMT treatment in prison the second group continued to
receive treatment from the outside too, the third group only had counseling from an OAT center when
they were released, and the final group had counseling while in prison and were only treated upon their
release in a community health center. The researchers discovered that the participants who received
BMT in prison and continued this at an OAT program after the end of their sentence were more likely to
join a community treatment program after they left prison. Those who started the treatment while in
prison also had a higher treatment retention rate after 12 months in comparison to those who only
started treatment after leaving prison.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 2017, discovered that" the rate of death from opioid
overdose was 120 times higher from the recently released from prison in comparison to those in the
community". In a more alarming case, it was discovered in 2015 that 50% of all deaths of those who had
been previously incarcerated were due to opioid use. This is astonishing since treatment methods that
have been tried and tested are available, but they are just not there for those who are incarcerated to
access.
The medication-assisted treatment has proven to be an effective method to treat people with opioid use
disorders. Its effectiveness can be attributed to its ability to combine counseling and small doses of
opioids. This, of course, depends on the used medication; it reduces the cravings in the patients and
reduces the chances of one getting high off the opiates used. The Rhode Island Department of
corrections in the summer of 2016 altered their prison policy and introduced a new program that
