LANCASTER, Pa. — Inside the Lancaster County Prison, some inmates are trying something new.
They’re part of a pilot program using medication-assisted treatment to stop substance use disorders, something county commissioners say are many times directly correlated to crime.
“Our goal is to make sure when someone leaves prison, they don’t come back and this is part of that," said Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, who is also chairman of the county's prison board.
The program has launched at the prison in just the last couple of months.
Statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse show an estimated 85% of the U.S. prison population has an active substance use disorder, or has been incarcerated for a drug-related crime.
The program is offered to inmates already on a medication-assisted treatment regimen, whether it be for opioid addiction, PTSD, or pain management.
“We’re here to help the individuals on that continued progress forward that they’ve already taken the initiative to do in the community," explained Cheryl Steberger-Simione, warden of the Lancaster County Prison.
Once a day, medical staff give inmates a dose of Subutex, an FDA-approved drug which prevents withdrawal symptoms.
It’s a process that for some inmates could take years.
“Our state facilities are also offering this and that information is taken along with the inmate and provided to the facility they’re going to so that continuation can occur," said Steberger-Simione.
The pilot program is being funded by Lancaster County’s share of a national opioid settlement.
"This is about extending it and making sure medically-assisted treatment is available to more people and it’s really becoming a best practice in prisons," said Parsons.
The ultimate goal of the program is to break the cycle of substance use disorders, and in turn, lower recidivism.
“Best practices have shown, this works," said Cheryl Steberger-Simione.
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