Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Corrections
Over the past several years, the United States has been in the grip of an escalating overdose epidemic, with 67,367 drug overdose deaths occurring in 2018 alone.
Incarcerated individuals and persons recently released from jails and prisons are at an increased risk. A study conducted at the Washington State Department of Prisons found that formerly incarcerated individuals were more than 12 times more likely to die in the two weeks following release from prison, compared to the general population, mostly due to drug overdose.
The World Health Organization (WHO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), and others have endorsed the effectiveness of MOUD and have urged correctional systems to provide adults in custody with these evidence-based treatments1. However, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that less than five percent of justice-involved individuals in need of opioid treatment were given the option of medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD).
In response to the opioid epidemic and technical assistance requests from the field, the Opioid Response Network (ORN) hosted two national summits for federal and state correctional departments, county jails, and local municipalities interested in implementing MOUD.
The first, Medications for Opioid Use Disorders in Correctional Settings Shifting the Paradigm: Creating a Balanced Correctional and Rehabilitative Approach, was held in January of 2020. The summit highlighted the Rhode Island Department of Corrections’ model (one of the first to incorporate MOUD system-wide), as well as other evidence-based delivery models from correctional systems around the country.
The second convening, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Correctional Settings: Moving to Implementation built on the 2020 convening with a focus on implementation. The 2021 session was hosted by the ORN and Justice System Partners (JSP) in January.
It focused on helping federal, state, and local correctional departments move towards MOUD implementation through interactive, peer-based learning opportunities; action plan development; and group sharing of developed action plans with real-time feedback.
Below is an overview of the substantive meeting sessions, topics discussed in breakout sessions, and summary feedback from participant evaluations. Direct links to recorded sessions and notes are included where available.
Day One: Tuesday January 26, 2021
Speaker
Presentation Title
Materials
Rosemarie Martin, PhD
Tonya Tavares, MS, CCRP
Brian Lovins, PhD
Daryl McGraw, MA, CAC, CCIP
MOUD IN CORRECTIONS
Welcome and Introductions
Kathlene Maurer, MD, MPH, MBA
Daryl McGraw, MA, CAC, CCIP
Shira Shavit, MD
Moderator: Chan Kempr, Esq.
MOUD in Corrections - Updates from Practice and Research
Breakouts by MOUD Implemnetation Progress
Breakout 1A - Have not started
Breakout
Breakout 2A - Some planning started
Breakout
Breakout 3A- Developed Complete Plan
Breakout
Breakout 4A- Fully Engaged
Breakout
Breakout 4B - Fully Engaged
Breakout
Breakout 5A - Fully Adopted
Breakout
Breakout 5B- Fully Adopted
Tonya Tavares, MS, CCRP
Closing Session
Day Two: Wednesday January 27, 2021
Speaker
Presentation Title
Materials
Rosemarie Martin, PhD
Tonya Tavares, MS, CCRP
Welcome and Overview
Breakout
Partnerships and Communication
Breakout
Medication Diversion
Breakout
Logistics and Operations
Breakout
Limited Access and Staffing Availability
Breakout
Lack of Info and Education
Breakout
Engaging Clients
Breakout
Continuity of Care
Day Three: Thursday January 28, 2021
Speaker
Presentation Title
Materials
Rosemarie Martin, PhD
Tonya Tavares, MS, CCRP
Closing Panel
Kristen Dauss, MD
Linda Hurley, MA, CAGS, LCDCS
Daryl McGraw, MA, CAC, CCJP
Moderator: Scott Allen, Chief (Retired) East Bridgewater Police
Filling out the Table: Diversifying MOUD Implementation
Featured Resources
Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) MAT Program Videos
In a series of videos, leaders from the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC), Brown University, and the Opioid Response Network (ORN) discuss the planning, execution, and success of Medications for Opioid Use Disorders (MOUD) in combating opioid addiction. Since 2015, Rhode Island’s MOUD program has helped reduce the overdose rate among individuals leaving the state’s correctional facilities by an overwhelming sixty-one percent.
Watch the full video, the short version, or individual chapters, listed below:
Participant Success Stories
View the success stories listed below:
Additional Resources
View additional resources listed below:
MOUD Example Policies and Protocols
View the example policies and protocal resources listed below:
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons: A Planning and Implementation Toolkit
1UNODC/WHO. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime/World Health Organization. HIV/AIDS Prevention Care, Treatment and Support in Prison Setting. A Framework for and Effective National Response. 2006
NIH (National Institutes of Health). (1997). Effective treatment of opiate addiction. 15 NIH Consensus Statement. November 17–19).
NIDA. (2012a). Medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Retrieved from
http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/tib_mat_opioid.pdf
Boucher, R. (2002). Case for Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Prisons, The. Vt. L. Rev., 27, 453.