Hi. What do they do for inmates on methadone? Thank you.

Jails do not offer access to methadone and buprenorphine, instead, they require inmates to go through forced withdrawal. Although rare, there are jails and prisons around the country that offer methadone and buprenorphine. The state of Rhode Island has offered both medications to inmates since 2016. For inmates that have opioid use disorder (OUD) there is evidence that suggests that methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) during incarceration can reduce inmates’ risks of overdose and other short-term adverse outcomes after release, but few jails and prisons offer it. 

Prisoners who received methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) during incarceration were more likely than prisoners who did not receive MMT to engage in the treatment after being released.

Those who received methadone during incarceration also reported less heroin use and had a lower risk of nonfatal overdose after being released.