Lorain Correctional now providing medication-assisted treatment to inmates

GRAFTON — The Lorain Correctional Institution and state prison and addiction services officials on Friday at the Grafton prison celebrated the opening of the first dedicated medication-assisted treatment at an Ohio prison. Adult inmates can now get methadone and buprenorphine treatment upon arrival. That will be paired with cognitive-behavioral programming provided by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. LORCI Warden Jennifer Gillece Black said the facility was "excited" and "blessed" with a "monumental moment in history." She praised the "value of treatment for those under our care and custody." In her remarks at the prison on Friday, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Annette Chambers-Smith called the program a "powerful advance for giving people second chances" and "an important tool in effectively fighting" the disease of addiction, lowering recidivism rates and keeping everyone in Ohio safe. Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is a combination of medications, counseling and behavioral therapy approach to the treatment of substance use disorders, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA said research proves that a combination of medication and therapy successfully treats disorders and can keep those with substance use disorders in recovery and help prevent overdoses. The ODRC signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with Community Medical Services to expand the MAT program. All Ohio inmates will have access to MAT by Oct. 1, the ODRC said. Nick Stavros, CEO of Community Medical Services, said during Friday's event that one of the most dangerous times for incarcerated opioid addicts is right after they leave jail or prison. Experts say fatal or near-fatal overdoses are common just after release from custody, and they are the leading cause of death upon release from prison. That's especially true for women. But MAT has been shown to reduce overdose death rates by more than 50 percent, Stavros said. Inmate Glenn Walker Jr. said the MAT program will be especially important to him. Sent to prison after a felony conviction in Franklin County, the 36-year-old father of six, husband and business owner said he has been an addict since age 13. He became a drug dealer and "the more I sold the more I used." As a result of an addiction to opiates, he has heart problems, lost relationships and, later, lost jail visitation privileges. The MAT program is the only thing that has worked for Walker since age 13, he said, thanking God and prison officials for the opportunity. He said he plans to stay in recovery, get his GED and stay on the path to recovery so he can rehabilitate himself to be a good husband, "an active dad" and a better business owner. Ohio MHAS Director Lori Criss said her agency wants to provide the "highest-quality program possible" treatment for the men and women in Ohio's prisons and at the same level as those who aren't incarcerated. "By connecting men and women with effective clinical treatments inside these institutions, they are more likely to make positive life changes important to their recovery and success upon reentry to their communities," she said Friday. Stavros said his company treats more than 20,000 patients across the country including in jails, prisons and drug courts. He said 97.5 percent of active drug users don't seek drug treatment, the United States has the highest overdose death rate in the world, and Ohio's overdose death rate is the fourth-highest in the nation. Reducing internal or external stigma of addiction and treatment, expanding access to treatment and education about treatment options are important to saving lives, Stavros said. "We are making an impact and will continue to make an impact," he said. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done. It's not easy and it's challenging." The prison system officials heard concerns that it couldn't keep the drugs secure and there were worries they could be stolen or "diverted," as officials called it. LORCI refitted a room in its infirmary, installed a new door and bought a safe to keep the medication secure. "We were told a prison wasn't safe enough, even though we have a pharmacy" on site, Chambers-Smith said. Among those attending Friday was state Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville. He said he was impressed with the program, and also presented Chambers-Smith, Criss and Black with a proclamation. The LCADA Way runs a similar program after signing a contract with the county to provide MAT at Lorain County Jail in 2019. "Not very many prison systems are going down this pathway," Chambers-Smith said, "but I believe in our correction officers and I know we can provide the security necessary for these drugs to do it safely in our system." When people don't commit new crimes, that means Ohio's crime rate goes down, she said. "This is a big day. It's a really big day," Chambers-Smith said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveOBrienCT.