Championing Change to Save Lives: A Call to Action to Implement Reforms to Increase Use of Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder in Correctional Settings

• Published date: 01 March 2022
• Date: 01 March 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0734016820981629
• Subject Matter: Articles

Championing Change to Save

Lives: A Call to Action to

Implement Reforms to

Increase Use of Medications

to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

in Correctional Settings

Sonia L. Canzater

1

and Regina M. LaBelle

1

Abstract

The disproportional rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) in U.S. correctional facilities make them

prime intervention points to treat OUD utilizing medication to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD),

the evidence-based clinical standard of care. MOUD has been shown to be effective to support

recovery and reduce recurrence of OUD, overdose de aths, and recidivism for justice-involved

persons both while incarcerated and once they reenter their communities. Despite the high pre-

valence, most jails and prisons do not offer MOUD. Litigation has spurred expanded access in more

facilities, but widespread MOUD access can only become a reality through a comprehensive effort of

corrections officials, medical experts, advocates, legislators, and other champions to raise awareness

and affect ideological and policy change. It is a legal and ethical imperative that the lives of justice-

involved persons not be jeopardized by the lack of evidence-based treatment for OUD in correc-

tional settings.

Keywords

opioids, correctional facilities, MOUD, treatment

In the United States, one in 38 adults is under some form of correctional supervision, either in a

detention- or community-based setting (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018, p. 16). There are currently nearly

2.2 million adults in U.S. correctional facilities, with 10.7 million people cycling through local jails

each year (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018, p. 16; Zheng, 2020, p. 19). More than half of adults held in jails

and prisons have illicit drug substance use disorder compared to 3%in the general population

1

O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC, USA

Corresponding Author:

Sonia L. Canzater, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, 600 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC

20001, USA.

Email: sc1574@georgetown.edu

Criminal Justice Review

ª2020 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/0734016820981629

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2022, Vol. 47(1) 94–102

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