Reps. Kuster, Blunt Rochester, Turner and Walorski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Correctional Facilities

Statement

Today, Reps. Annie Kuster (D-NH), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mike Turner (R-OH), and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) introduced H.R. 3496, the Community Re-Entry through Addiction Treatment to Enhance (CREATE) Opportunities Act, legislation to help expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for justice-involved individuals. This legislation would create a new grant program within the Department of Justice for state and local governments to provide MAT in their correctional facilities. The program would require grantees to provide more than one MAT option and to develop a plan for connecting individuals to continued treatment upon release into the community. Data indicates recently released individuals are 129 times more likely to die from opioid overdose in the first two weeks of release.

Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Rep. Kuster originally introduced this legislation last year during the 115th Congress.

"Too many incarcerated individuals in our jails suffer from untreated mental health and substance use disorder, and most lack access to the treatment they need," said Rep. Kuster, founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Opioid Task Force. "Medication assisted treatment (MAT) has an important role to play in helping incarcerated individuals suffering from substance use disorder recover and reclaim their lives to become productive, contributing members of our society. Reducing recidivism is a win for our communities: it's good for public safety, public health, and budgets. The CREATE Opportunities Act is commonsense legislation to provide a commonsense solution to put an end to the cycle between addiction and the criminal justice system."

"Our local jails are on the frontlines of the response to the nation's opioid overdose crisis," said Senator Markey. "Too often, our local jails witness some of the most devastating impacts of the opioid crisis, but don't have the resources to mount a robust and appropriate response. My bill would help change that. We know we cannot incarcerate our way out of this crisis. Instead, we must rehabilitate in order to reduce recidivism and save lives. Providing reliable access to evidence-based treatment within correctional facilities will help counties and states respond to this crisis like the public health issue that it is. I thank Senator Murkowski and Representative Kuster for their partnership in this endeavor."

"For years I have worked on a bipartisan basis to combat the deadly opioid crisis," said Congressman Turner. "I am proud to co-sponsor the CREATE Opportunities Act to help improve access to substance abuse treatment for incarcerated individuals. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation to get us closer towards ending this deadly epidemic."

"It is increasingly clear that our correctional facilities are exacerbating one of the worst public health emergencies the country has ever seen," said Blunt Rochester. "The failure to provide the resources needed to properly treat mental health and substance use disorder in our correctional facilities allows this crisis to continue unabated. While we continue to work together as a nation to address the opioid and heroin epidemic, I urge my colleagues to provide the evidence-based, medication-assisted treatment and recovery services we know work during incarceration and after release. We have already lost so many of our loved ones due to a lack of appropriate care in our criminal justice system. We must prioritize the resources correctional facilities need so we don't lose generations to come. I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for taking this important step to addressing a crucial part of this crisis."

"As communities across the country face the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic, we have to keep working together to advance prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts," said Congresswoman Walorski. "State, county, and local law enforcement agencies should have access to the tools and resources they need to combat the opioid crisis. This bipartisan bill would support evidence-based solutions to treat addiction and make our communities safer."