Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Outcomes for People with Substance Use Disorder in Carceral Settings

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Location: Grand Ballroom Section ED OMNI

Presenter(s)

Regina LaBelle, JD

Initiative Director & Distinguished Scholar
The O'Neill Institute at Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
Peter Koutoujian, JD, MPA

Sheriff
Middlesex Sheriff's Office
Woburn, MA
Brandon George

Founder/CEO
Hope Recovery Strategies
Noblesville, IN

Moderator(s)

J. Kevin Massey

Chief Executive Officer
Arlington Consulting Group
Middletown, DE

Correctional facilities are faced with a growing number of incarcerated persons with complex health and behavioral health needs, despite limited resource availability. Jails and prisons play a critical role in providing proper services that address the safety and well-being of both incarcerated individuals and staff. An increasing number of jails, prisons, and statewide systems are implementing policies and strategies to ensure access to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), including medications for opioid use disorder and withdrawal management for alcohol, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and other substances. Legislation, litigation, and executive leadership by governors, sheriffs, and others are driving these reforms. This session will provide information on federal, state, and local efforts to expand access to care for people who are incarcerated and have SUD, or who are withdrawing from substances, and identify ways in which correctional facilities can improve health outcomes for individuals who are incarcerated.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the legal duties of jails to provide adequate healthcare to incarcerated populations
Describe presenters' qualitative and quantitative analyses of litigation related to access to evidence-based treatment for SUD
Analyze and assess practices related to mental health and SUD treatment and how to integrate these into jail policies