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TUESDAY, DEC 19, 2017

CLMHD Releases White Paper: “Completing the Recovery Treatment Continuum: Jail Based Substance Use Disorder Services”

White Paper: Completing the Recovery Treatment Continuum: Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Services

Fast Facts: CLMHD Report - Completing the Recovery Treatment Continuum Fast Facts

The Conference is proud to release "Completing the Recovery Treatment Continuum: Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Services," a new white paper which discusses the vital need to address a gap in the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment continuum by funding treatment and transition services in the jail setting. The paper requests annual state funding of $12.8 million from the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to LGUs.

The state is taking aggressive steps to address the heroin/opioid epidemic, including the rapid expansion of community-based treatment and support services to create a continuum of care to support the individual and family in their recovery.

LGUs recognize that there remains a gap in the treatment and support continuum: the local jail. CLMHD engaged Policy Research Associates (PRA) and the NYS Sheriffs' Association to quantify the needs and illustrate the reductions in recidivism and public policy benefit to providing SUD treatment and support during incarceration and through re-entry.

Consider the following data:

People with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) frequently come into contact with the criminal justice system. The jails that participated in this report indicate that, of the individuals incarcerated for SUD-related crimes, 68% had been in their jail before.
Jail incarceration provides a unique opportunity to offer treatment and supports during periods when people are clean and sober. Yet just over half (51%) of NYS localities report that they have no funding for SUD treatment services in their jails despite strong evidence that these services reduce crime, save money and save lives.
53% of jails do not have the capacity to directly transition addicted inmates to community treatment programs upon the critical time of re-entry.
A New England Journal of Medicine study found that in the first two weeks after release, former inmates with an opioid use disorder were 12.7 times more likely than other individuals to die of an overdose.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Heroin Addiction Recover Program (SHARP) provides SUD treatment during incarceration and support services after release. The program has resulted in a 28% reduction in recidivism rate.

Supplemental Data:

Data - NYS Counties & 2016 Jail Average Daily Population

NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Report - Cost Benefit Analysis for CJ Oct 2013

Comparison of Opioid Related Deaths to All Drug-Related Deaths by County - NYS

Letters of Support:

NYS Sheriffs' Association Letter of Support for Jail SUD Funding

Friends of Recovery NY Letter of Support for Jail SUD Funding

Alliance for Positive Health Letter of Support for Jail SUD Funding

Press Coverage:

"Getting Help at Niagara County Jail" - Lockport Journal - 2.16.18

"Cayuga County Seeks State Funding for Jail Inmates' Substance Abuse Treatment" - Auburn Citizen - 2.21.18

"Seneca County joins effort to get state funds for jail inmate substance abuse treatment" - Finger Lakes Times - 2.22.18