Inside a living unit at Cook County jail, detainees talk openly about substance abuse and what it has done to their lives, examining the choices they have made and discuss the changes they can make.
Shaheed Johnson is eager to participate in the session, which is part of the Sheriff’s Men’s Addiction Recovery Treatment, or SMART, Program.
“You could put the same time and energy into getting high as you can into doing the right thing and becoming a positive member of society,” he said.
The SMART program, and a sister program called “THRIVE” for female detainees, grew out of a realization that overdose deaths countywide are skyrocketing…especially those involving fentanyl.
“The fact that we have this horrific opioid epidemic going on meant that we were going to have issues with it here, both with people inside and people passing through it,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
One of the keys to the success of Cook County’s addiction treatment programs is their use of medically-assisted treatment. Cook County’s Cermak Medical Services is the only jail in the state offering such a program.
“We have had excellent results,” said Dr. Patrick Ennis, who is the director of the Opioid Treatment Program at Cermak Hospital. “The studies really show that methadone and buprenorphine prevent overdose, in the long run.”
Read more at NBCChicago.com.
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