Over 80% of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is currently housing inmates who are non-dangerous drug offenders. Many of which are repeat offenders as the recidivism rate of those incarcerated or on probation for a drug offense have increased by 30% over the last year in our community, especially as our nation as a whole continues on this deadly fentanyl pandemic.

Studies have shown that MAT services - medications to treat opioid use disorders such as Methadone and Suboxone - have been effective for severe opioid addicts struggling to obtain long term sobriety and immensely lowering the risk of death from overdose.  MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) has been proven to assist the brains neuropathways damaged by addiction and has been proven to statistically increase the chances of sustaining recovery by about 63%. 

Unfortunately, YCSO does not currently offer these services to the very exact population of individuals who could greatly benefit from beginning their MAT program before being released. Prescott itself has struggled with the increase of homelessness  by 10% more just in the last two years, and most of our unsheltered population have been convicted of a non-violent drug offense. Almost half of the inmates currently in our jail do not have somewhere they can go, and many end up back out on the streets. This is a continuous, vicious cycle of incarceration and active addiction. 

Since the rise of fentanyl in our communities over the last few years, multiple recent studies have shown that traditional inpatient rehabilitation/ sober living completion without the use of MAT versus a completion of treatment/sober living WITH the use of MAT, showed the latter being substantially more effective for individuals to be able to achieve long term sobriety. These studies also found that participants in a MAT program were about 60% less likely to return to jail within a year of their release  than those with opioid addiction who were not receiving Medically Assisted Treatment. 

Providing MAT services in jail is not uncommon nationwide - it has been used as an optional program in jails and prisons for decades and continues to produce positive results. The average jail sentence at YCSO for a non-violent narcotic possession is 45-90 days, followed by a court mandated completion of an inpatient treatment facility. Our nation as a whole has progressed greatly with our views, stigmatization, and knowledge of addiction which has resulted in an overall improvement with compassion when discussing substance use disorders and those struggling with it. So I am sure I am not alone when I say that one to three months in jail for a non-violent, small drug possession charge is unnecessary. What good could come from all of that time spent incarcerated until they finally are released into a treatment facility? Instead of spending their jail sentence with absolutely no access or availability to any form of counseling/treatment while they’re in there, why would we not try to allow them the opportunity to utilize those many weeks or months in jail to begin treatment for their addiction? The vast majority nationwide agree - treatment over punishment for addicts. So, does up to 3 months in jail for a non-violent, small drug possession charge with absolutely no type of behavioral health program available in there honestly reflect that statement? 

Let’s increase access and availability for recovery from opioid addiction to the large demographic of individuals struggling with it - inside the jail.