October 8, 2020

People in jails have much higher rates of chronic health conditions than the general population, and jails are required to offer medical care for their inmate population. Behavioral health issues, such as drug and alcohol addiction, are chronic health conditions just like diabetes, heart disease or asthma and can benefit from Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Available data shows us that rates of relapse, use and overdose deaths have increased during COVID-19, and people released from incarceration have 129 times the risk of overdose death than the general population.

According to a study by Brown University researchers, MAT not only reduces overdose deaths after inmates are released, but also increases the likelihood that they will continue treatment and avoid getting arrested again.

In 2019, the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) provided a grant to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for its Striving to Achieve Recovery (STAR) program in the Adult Detention Center. The grant supports “initiatives that provide integrated drug treatment services and criminal justice supervision for substance-dependent offenders.”

The STAR program was featured in HIDTA’s 2019 annual report as its Spotlight on Treatment. The report states that the Sheriff’s Office operates an evidence-based pre-release and reentry program that “provides holistic, wrap-around substance abuse treatment and recovery services to mitigate risk factors associated with recidivism.”

Fairfax Sheriff Stacey Kincaid credits HIDTA’s grant support with helping the Sheriff’s Office move beyond detox to offering Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) to address substance use disorders. “Additionally, we ensure a strong transition to the community with links to behavioral and primary health care, housing, transportation and employment,” said Kincaid.

Laura Yager is Director of Correctional Health and Human Services for the Sheriff’s Office. “Reentry recovery support is key to a safe and healthy community and changing the life trajectory for individuals.” She promotes protocol changes and relationship building for the criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

The Sheriff's Office partners with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board to provide behavioral health services in the Adult Detention Center.

For more information about MAT, please contact Laura Yager at sheriff@fairfaxcouny.gov.