NEWARK, N.J. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) visited the Camden County Jail to discuss the importance of providing comprehensive substance abuse treatment to individuals who are incarcerated. During the discussion with the warden and people who are incarcerated, Senator Booker announced that he will be introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act, legislation that would break down barriers that prevent individuals who are incarcerated from accessing essential mental health and substance use services. U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Don Bacon (R-NE) will introduce the bill in the House.
"Today, I had the opportunity to engage in an important dialogue at the Camden County Jail to better understand the challenges that people who are incarcerated face when accessing vital mental health and substance abuse services," said Senator Booker. "Failing to provide medical coverage for these treatments for people while incarcerated exacerbates health disparities and heightens their risk of serious illness and injury. Ensuring this access to treatment isn’t just the right thing to do based on our values, but it’s in the best interest of our communities and our public safety—this program is giving people a fighting chance at a successful reentry post-incarceration.That is why I will be introducing this bicameral and bipartisan legislation that would ensure comprehensive coverage for mental health and substance use services throughout the time a person is incarcerated to disrupt the cycle of recidivism and provide them with the help they need. Ensuring that our criminal justice system focuses on rehabilitation will save taxpayer dollars and make our communities safer and stronger."
“Mental health and substance use disorders are additional obstacles for justice-involved individuals as they leave incarceration and rejoin their communities. That’s why it is so important that we expand access to treatment and recovery resources during incarceration, so people can get the health care they need to recover,” said Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02), founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to allow Medicaid to cover mental health and substance use disorder care for people incarcerated in public institutions. This legislation will lower the financial burden on states and towns and help stop the cycle of recidivism across the country. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.”
“Substance abuse is a crisis among the incarcerated,” said Representative Bacon. “Inmates who seek treatment for addiction should be able to access resources, which not only improves their quality of life, but leads to decreased recidivism rates, saving lives and resources. I support the Rehabilitation and Recovery for Inmates Act because I understand how devastating drug addiction can be, and believe that no person should suffer from addiction because of lack of resources.”
The Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act would increase access to mental health and substance use services for people who are incarcerated in public institutions. Currently, individuals who are incarcerated are excluded from Medicaid coverage due to the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Provision.
Specifically, the legislation would:
Background
In 2018, the Camden County Department of Corrections received a $200,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Corrections to launch the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program to help individuals who are incarcerated with drug and alcohol addiction. The program began by only providing inmates with Naltrexone (also known as vivitrol).
Between 2019 and 2023, Camden County has received an annual grant of $699,909 to support MAT in their facility totaling $2,799,636.00 over the last 4 years. This annual grant comes from a 2019 announcement from Governor Phil Murphy for a $8 million investment to partner with county jails to provide MAT to people who are incarcerated with opioid addiction while in jail and post release.
In 2019, the program expanded to include “initiating” and offering all three federally approved medication options to treat opioid addiction: methadone and buprenorphine, both opioid-based medications, and naltrexone, which blocks opioids from latching on to receptions in the brain. Initiating entails introducing individuals to MAT upon booking in the facility. Prior to this shift, individuals were detoxed from their medication all together. This caused individuals who are incarcerated to have serious withdrawal pain in jail and in some cases, attempt suicide.
The Camden MAT program screens every person who is incarcerated upon entry for the facility for mental health and substance abuse disorders and aims to get them on medication within 24 to 48 hours. Individuals who are incarcerated who test for addiction-related disorders can choose to participate in the MAT program and will receive treatment inside the jail and will continue to receive treatment at one of many community treatment agencies after release. The Camden jail is the first facility in the state to offer all three opioid addiction medications in their MAT program.
In 2019, the Camden County jail was selected to participate in a national initiative to expand opioid treatments in jails and to help improve the connections for those released from jail and reentering into the community with a history of opioid misuse. As one of 15 jurisdictions across the country to be selected, the Camden County Department of Corrections participated in the Building Bridges Between Jail and Community-Based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Institute for Intergovernmental Research and Arnold Ventures. The Camden County jail received $149,795 in 2020 and utilized this funding to partner with Cooper University Hospital to screen individuals receiving MAT in the facility for Presumptive Eligibility to temporarily enroll in Medicaid. Enrolling patients from the jail for Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility at the time of release offers immediate, short-term coverage of health care services while awaiting the processing of a full application.
In February 2023, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy announced that it will allow a waiver for Medicaid funds to be used in jails and prisons for mental health and drug treatment. Currently, people who are incarcerated are excluded from Medicaid coverage due to the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Provision. This leaves states and counties responsible for funding medical treatment for people who are incarcerated who might otherwise qualify for Medicaid. The same month, Rahul Gupta, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited the Camden County jail to highlight the White House’s waiver to allow states to apply to use Medicaid to pay for treatment of substance use and mental health in jails and prisons. During the visit, Director Gupta also underscored that the Camden County jail MAT program is a model for the country on how to expand treatment in populations that are disproportionately affected by addiction and mental health issues.
Today’s announcement of the Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act at the Camden County Jail was part of Booker’s 2023 Jersey Summer Road Trip, a series of stops highlighting New Jersey’s 21 counties. The road trip will focus on Booker’s efforts to secure congressionally directed funding for critical projects in the state; his legislative priorities, including his work to address the opioid epidemic, counter the scourge of gun violence, and serve New Jersey veterans; and his support of local businesses and organizations.