The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to expand services addressing opioid use disorder among inmates housed in the detention center.
On Fri., Sheriff Quentin Miller’s office announced inmates who enter the facility will be permitted to continue taking prescribed medications used to treat opioid use disorder, like methadone. Before the change, only pregnant inmates at the county jail were offered medication as part of the recovery process. Others who came into the facility on medications were tapered off their medication through a process called medical detox, the sheriff's office said in a press release.
Also as of Fri., the sheriff’s office says inmates diagnosed with opioid abuse disorder will be evaluated for referral to a program that includes medication,counseling and psycho-education classes. That program, called Medication-Assisted Treatment or MAT, aims to help inmates on the road to recovery and reduce recidivism.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $283,000 grant to the Sheriff’s office to fund the program.
Last year, the detention center added more advanced screening equipment to detect the smuggling in of drugs and contraband, which is a felony offense.
