[M]ore than twice as many Vermont prisoners are receiving treatment for opioid addiction as were two months ago, as the Department of Corrections continues to evolve its policy on addiction treatment for inmates in the face of public pressure. This month 320 prisoners were being treated, up from 130 two months ago.
At a Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee in Montpelier on Friday, Corrections Commission Lisa Menard told legislators that earlier this month it was determined that any inmate who has reached or is past their minimum sentence falls within the 30 day “medical necessity” — because they could be released at any time.
Tom Dalton, executive director of Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, said this marks a “significant change” to Department of Corrections policy since Act 176, which took effect July 1, ordered the expansion of prison-based treatment for opioid addiction.
“What has changed is what they had been telling incarcerated people, ‘we won’t treat you until 14-30 days prior to release,’ and you had to have a fixed release date,” Dalton said. “This new requirement means you don’t need a firm release date.”
Previously, corrections officials had maintained that Centurion, the prison system health care contractor, was following national prison health policies and had determined that starting inmates already in the corrections system on addiction treatment becomes “medically necessary” only within 30 days of release from prison.
That decision was roundly criticized by prisoners-rights group and opioid treatment specialists.
Even Menard said that the “main area of contention at that time was around people who were at or past the minimum release date, but that our contractor was saying ‘we don’t know when they are going to get out so we don’t want to put them on medication.’”
Last month, Dalton filed a complaint with the state Board of Medical Practice against Centurion’s Vermont medical director, claiming that addicted inmates were suffering harm because of inadequate implementation of the new law.
Annie Ramniceanu, the department’s director of mental health and addiction services, said the change comes after months of discussions between the department and Centurion about medical necessity and evaluating the risk of overdoses for people re-entering society.
“We have been engaged in conversations for many months looking at these practices and the medical provider has redefined the practice based on this information,” Ramniceanu said.
Dalton said he is ”cautiously optimistic” about the implementation of the new treatment standards by the Department of Corrections.
“I’m continuing to monitor the situation closely but this is a huge step forward and I have gotten emails, calls and text messages from people who are incarcerated or from family members who are very happy,” Dalton said, “I’m celebrating this progress for sure.”
Corrections officials said they hope to have 400 inmates enrolled in the opioid treatment program by November.
“We are pleased with where we are at, but it is an evolving science,” Menard said.
