Treating Opioid Use Disorder Could Lower Recidivism Rates

By Jonathan Springston, Editor, Relias Media

For incarcerated people with opioid use disorder, taking buprenorphine helped them avoid new court charges, probation violations, and reincarceration once they were out of jail, according to the results of a recently published paper.

In two Massachusetts jails, investigators observed 469 adults (272 in Hampshire County, 197 in Franklin County) with opioid use disorder. Those at the Franklin County facility took buprenorphine; those at the Hampshire County jail did not. The authors monitored these inmates after their release from jail for recidivism.

Generally, fewer former inmates from Franklin County (i.e., the facility that gave buprenorphine) recidivated vs. those from the Hampshire County facility. A total of 36% of those who served time in Franklin County faced new criminal charges in court vs. 47% of those in Hampshire County. The authors observed a re-incarceration rate of 21% in the Franklin County group vs. 39% in the Hampshire County group.

The study population was relatively small and narrow. All inmates were from two facilities in a rural area of one small state; most were white men in their mid-30s.

“Though this study was done with a small sample, the results show convincingly that on top of these positive health effects, providing these medications in jail can break the repressive cycle of arrest, reconviction, and reincarceration that occurs in the absence of adequate help and resources,” said Peter Friedmann, MD, senior author and part of the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network.

The practice of giving buprenorphine to inmates with opioid use disorder is on the rise. From June 2016 to May 2021, the practice increased 224-fold. However, only an estimated 3.6% of the 270,000 people with opioid use disorder incarcerated in the United States receive such treatment.

In a 2020 issue brief, the Pew Charitable Trusts called on states to “prioritize treating these individuals with [opioid use disorder] using methadone or buprenorphine — the medications supported by the most evidence — and then connect them to maintenance care upon re-entry into the community.”

Pew called on lawmakers to ensure dedicated funding to jails and prisons to help officials screen, treat, monitor data, and collaborate with community service providers.

For a primer on recognizing and treating substance use disorders, be sure to read the February 2022 issue of Primary Care Reports.