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ABSTRACT
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is underutilized in the treatment of drug-dependent, criminal justice populations. This study surveyed criminal justice agencies affiliated with the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) to assess use of MAT and factors influencing use of MAT. A convenience sample (N = 50) of criminal justice agency respondents (e.g., jails, prisons, parole/probation, and drug courts) completed a survey on MAT practices and attitudes. Pregnant women and individuals experiencing withdrawal were most likely to receive MAT for opiate dependence in jail or prison, whereas those reentering the community from jail or prison were the least likely to receive MAT. Factors influencing use of MAT included criminal justice preferences for drug-free treatment, limited knowledge of the benefits of MAT, security concerns, regulations prohibiting use of MAT for certain agencies, and lack of qualified medical staff. Differences across agency type in the factors influencing use and perceptions of MAT were also examined. MAT use is largely limited to detoxification and maintenance of pregnant women in criminal justice settings. Use of MAT during the community reentry period is minimal. Addressing inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes about MAT may increase its adoption, but better linkages to community pharmacotherapy during the reentry period might overcome other issues, including security, liability, staffing, and regulatory concerns. The CJ-DATS collaborative MAT implementation study to address inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and linkage will be described.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was funded under a cooperative agreement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH), US Department of Health and Human Services. The authors gratefully acknowledge the collaborative contributions by NIDA, the Coordinating Center (AMAR International, Inc.), and the Research Centers participating in CJ-DATS2 (Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University and University of Rhode Island; the University of Connecticut; National Development and Research Institutes, Inc; Texas Christian University, Institute of Behavioral Research; University of Delaware, Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies; University of Kentucky, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research; University of California at Los Angeles, Integrated Substance Abuse Programs; Temple University, Department of Criminal Justice; Arizona State University; and Friends Research Institute). The authors thank Lori Ducharme, PhD, Services Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research of NIDA/NIH for comments on the manuscript. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NIDA/NIH, Department of Health and Human Services, other CJ-DATS participants, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. More information on CJ-DATS can be found at http://CJ-DATS2.org.
