Sacramento, CA - Today, Governor Newsom signed a historic bi-partisan package of criminal justice reform bills, including AB 1304, authored by Assemblymember Marie Waldron, which provides that eligible parolees who volunteer and receive six months of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) upon release from prison will be eligible for reductions of 30 days off their parole sentences, up to a maximum 90-day reduction. This bill will improve treatment adherence and provide formerly incarcerated individuals the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.
The risk for relapse to opioid use following release from a correctional setting is extremely high, and the majority of participants drop out of community-based treatment before completion. This propagates a cycle of failure for these individuals.
“It is imperative that the investment the State of California is making in substance use treatment within correctional settings be complimented with policies that improve adherence to medications and treatment post-release” said Waldron. “AB 1304 saves lives by reducing overdoses, improves reentry success and reduces recidivism. California needs to pursue proven, evidenced-based solutions to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of justice-involved individuals facing substance abuse and addiction disorders.”
AB 1304 incentivizes parolees to participate in MAT programs by providing reduced parole sentences to eligible parolees who complete specified periods of treatment. This is a proven model. In Kentucky, a similar, bipartisan measure has reduced overall reincarceration, increased the number of days out before reincarceration, and reduced illegal drug use, alcohol use, and opiate use. Under AB 1304, California will provide similar incentives to help formerly incarcerated Californians break the cycle of addiction, and to successfully get back into their communities, leading more productive lives. Costs of this program are covered by a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Grant. This bill is aligned with provisions of the Governor’s Budget Plan that reduce parole duration and provide incentives for those parolees to continue to participate in much-needed treatment.
Waldron, whose business has hired previously incarcerated individuals for many years, has seen first-hand the impact of opioid drugs on parolees who are struggling with the barriers to reentry.
BACKGROUND
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, findings unequivocally show that providing comprehensive substance use treatment to criminal offenders works to reduce both substance use and criminal recidivism. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has recognized the need for comprehensive substance use disorder treatment and in 2019 the State of California included $71.3 million within its budget to implement an Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT) Program to expand medication assisted treatment (MAT) throughout the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) with the combined goal of treating substance use disorder as a chronic illness, reducing fatalities associated with it, and improving CDCR’s rehabilitative environment. Addressing the treatment needs of offenders with substance abuse problems is critical to helping these individuals re-enter society as well as reducing overall crime and other drug-related community burdens, such as lost job productivity and family disintegration. Helping parolees succeed in their communities by encouraging treatment will also help reduce recidivism and its associated costs to the state corrections system during a time the state budget is facing a $54 billion deficit.
The risk for relapse to opioid use following release from a correctional setting is extremely high, and the majority of participants drop out of community-based treatment before completion (see footnote). This propagates a cycle of failure for these individuals. It is imperative that the investment the State of California is making in substance use treatment within correctional settings be complimented with policies that improve adherence to medications and treatment post-release. California needs to pursue proven, evidenced-based solutions to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of justice-involved individuals facing substance abuse and addiction disorders.
Binswanger, Ingrid A., et al. "Release from prison—a high risk of death for former inmates." New England Journal of Medicine 356.2 (2007): 157-165. And U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Biannual Grantee Feedback Report April–September 2015. Available at: https://www.bja.gov/funding/GFR_RSAT_Apr-Sept15_508.pdf