Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

County mental health commissioners, sheriffs, NYS Association of Counties call for state funding of substance use disorder treatment in jails

Submitted

Tue, Mar 13th 2018 04:10 pm
The New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors (CLMHD), along with representatives of the New York State Sheriffs' Association and the New York State Association of Counties, urged state leaders to include $12.8 million in the state budget for jail-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and post-release transition services. Advocates for the funding were joined by a bipartisan group of legislators from the Senate and Assembly.
Advocated said that, while aggressive steps have been taken in New York to address the heroin/opioid epidemic, there remains a gap in the treatment and support continuum: the local jail. People suffering from addiction frequently come into contact with the criminal justice system. Incarceration provides a unique opportunity to offer treatment supports during periods when people are clean and sober.
However, more than half (51 percent) of New York state jails report they have no funding for SUD treatment services, despite strong evidence these services reduce crime, save money and save lives.
Kelly A. Hansen, executive director of the New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors, stated, "The county mental health commissioners have long known that people with substance use disorder often cycle in and out of jail. The heroin and opioid epidemic has exacerbated the situation. Counties that have cobbled together funding to bring treatment into the jail are seeing significant reductions in recidivism, which improves public safety and saves taxpayer dollars. More importantly, we are missing a unique and time-limited opportunity to offer treatment when a person is clean and sober and more likely to have insight into their addiction. New York state has the opportunity have a tremendous positive impact for New Yorkers who are affected by addiction. For people in jail battling addiction, starting treatment in jail could be lifesaving."
Barry Virts, Wayne County sheriff and president of the New York State Sheriffs' Association, stated, "Sheriffs have increasingly found that individuals who are being entrusted to their care and custody are coming to their jail facilities with serious medical, mental health and substance abuse issues. While all sheriffs strive to do as much as possible to help those in their jails - including offering comprehensive addiction treatment and transition services - we are often constrained by limited budgets and scarcity of appropriate mental health care providers and substance abuse counselors. We are missing an opportunity to intervene in a profoundly positive way in these individuals' lives. With help from the state, sheriffs have the potential to break the cycle of both addiction and recidivism."
Localities in New York that have the funding to provide these services are seeing significant benefits. In Albany County, the jail-based sheriff's heroin addiction recovery program (SHARP) has reduced re-incarceration by 28 percent among program participants. New York's own analysis by DCJS of the costs and benefits of jail-based SUD treatment found communities realize a savings of $2,846 per person served and there are 13 fewer victimizations per 100 people served. 
According to a report conducted by Policy Research Associates on behalf of the New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors, county sheriffs indicated 68 percent of inmates with an SUD had been in jail before. The report details the scope of the problem and benefits of the measures discussed today. To read the full report, "Completing the Recovery Treatment Continuum: Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Services," visit www.clmhd.org.
Localities across the state rely heavily on county budgets and pharmaceutical donations to sustain what services are currently offered. Fifty-one percent of jails have no funding for substance use treatment services. Additionally, 53 percent of jails do not have the capacity to directly transition addicted inmates to community treatment programs upon re-entry to the community. Advocates said these services minimize the possibility of recidivism and overdosing. Even for jails with treatment programs, the escalating need outpaces the services available.
New York State Sen. George A. Amedore Jr., chairman of the Senate Alcohol & Drug Abuse Standing Committee, and co-chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, said, "While we have made great progress as a state when it comes to increasing access to treatment for those who suffer from addiction, there is a large gap when it comes to jail-based services. Investing in comprehensive treatment programs in our jails will lead to reduced recidivism and ultimately save taxpayer dollars, and I am proud to fully support the effort to secure this critical funding in this year's budget."
Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal, chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, stated, "New York state's jails and prisons contain our second-highest concentration of people dealing with substance use disorder, and it is absolutely imperative that we meet these individuals where they are with robustly funded treatment and recovery services. If we are serious about providing an unbroken continuum of care across our state to attack the epidemic of opioids and cocaine, this must extend to jails and prisons. If we have any expectation of incarcerated individuals breaking the grip of addiction and smoothly transitioning back into society, we cannot simply lock the doors and throw away the key. I am the sponsor of legislation to require medication-assisted treatment programming be made available in all state correctional facilities and local jails, which would represent a historic change in approach from our failed 'war on drugs', and could save countless lives."
State Sen. Robert G. Ortt, chairman, Senate Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, and member of the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, said, "In order to properly address the substance abuse epidemic that is so prevalent in today's society, we must ensure that we are utilizing every tool possible - in all settings possible - to help those suffering from addiction. Substance abuse is an epidemic that affects far too many New Yorkers. It makes sense - from a clinical and law enforcement standpoint - to treat individuals while they're in these facilities so that we can curb addiction and reduce recidivism. After the resounding success in the state's pilot program, I will continue to firmly support expansion of these services statewide so we can ensure every county in the state has access to jail-based SUD treatment services."
State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan, chairman, committee on crime victims, crime and correction, stated, "More must be done to provide effective drug treatment programs for individuals being held in county jails. The state's investment in SUD treatment and transition programs will not only help these men and women overcome their addiction, it will provide them an opportunity to become productive members of society. By reducing recidivism, we reduce crime and save taxpayers money in the long run."
Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, stated, "Most of the jails in New York state have no funding for substance use disorder treatment (SUD) services, despite strong evidence that these services help to save lives, reduce crime and save taxpayer money. Counties urge the state to provide mental health local government units with $12.8 million in funding, annually, to address this gap in treatment and support in our jails. This modest investment would reduce costs to taxpayers, and offer the opportunity for recovery to a critical population struggling with addiction."

Hometown News

View All News