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Home > School of Law > Student > Law Review > Vol. 47 > Iss. 1

 

Western New England Law Review

Justin Haddad

Abstract

In 2021, nearly 80,000 people died from an opioid-related overdose. This startling statistic was the impetus that led many states to try to combat opioid use disorder (OUD) over recent years. Many of these states have realized that OUD bleeds into their correctional facilities and have decided to offer Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to incarcerated individuals. Oregon was once considered the vanguard of progressive policymaking, most recently when it enacted Measure 110 (M110), which decriminalized certain drug possession and provided treatment to people suffering from substance abuse. Oregon has recently initiated a pilot program to integrate MAT into its correctional facilities. This paper analyzes how Oregon can expand its MAT program to incarcerated individuals, not merely to reduce overdose deaths within those states but provide a level of equality that all people who struggle with OUD deserve. To provide policy proposals to better understand the intricacies of MAT programs within correctional facilities, I interviewed industry leaders whose states offer robust MAT programs. This article will make policy proposals for a more comprehensive and expansive MAT program in Oregon correctional facilities, including the importance of the transitional phase post-release from prison. These policy proposals include (1) focusing primarily on providing extended-release Naltrexone for high-risk OUD individuals; (2) expanding Oregon Department Corrections’ (ODC’s) MAT program to all individuals suffering from OUD, regardless of sentence length; and (3) using M110 funds to increase access to MAT post-release from prison during the transitional phase back into the community.

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