NJSAM Submits Letter in Support of Bill to Improve Access to MAT in Jails and Prisons

On March 25, the New Jersey Society of Addiction Medicine (NJSAM), submitted a letter in support of A3692, which would require New Jersey’s department of corrections to ensure that incarcerated individuals in need of temporary or continued management of a substance use disorder in the state have access to medications for addiction treatment (MAT) as well as counseling services and withdrawal management services.

The letter noted the efficacy of MAT when used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), focusing specifically on its ability to decrease recidivism and patient mortality. Furthermore, MAT continues to accrue evidence in support of its effectiveness at reducing infectious disease transmission both inside jails and prisons, but also in the community.

Read the bill here.

Read NJSAM’s letter here.