We demand that the State of Massachusetts Department of Corrections terminate its practice of incarcerating noncriminal addicts as part of the residential treatment program where patients are involuntarily committed to a treatment program within a jail - handcuffed and locked up.
For Massachusetts | Policing | demanded by 3 | created by Juhan Sonin
Many of these facilities are not licensed to provide treatment, and researchers at Northeastern University conclude that - even if administered properly - forced treatment does not work. Many of these patients are left mistreated and released back into society with the same addiciton and overdose risks that that first came in with.
Background:
Between 2007 and 2014, all opioid-related hospital discharges increased by 84%; in 2016, it increased from the last year by 25%, and - in 2017 - it decreased by 8.3%. Heroin and fentanyl are causing the greatest number of fatal overdoses; in 2016, nearly 70% of opioid related mortality was caused by fentanyl, a stark increase from 2014, reflective of the quickly changing nature of the epidemic. Overall, opioid-related hospital discharges are highest among males, young adults, and individuals from low-income communities. There are about 4,000 treatment beds in the state, and only 868 are for detox—where patients go to break the cycle of addiction. These resources fall far short for the over 40,000 Massachusetts residents who need, but are not receiving, clinical treatment for addiction. Compounding the problem, long-term inpatient substance abuse treatment is not covered by health insurance, so many cannot afford to get the help they need.