Sarasota Launching Inmate Opiate Addiction Treatment Program

SARASOTA, FL – The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is opening up a new front in its ongoing battle against heroin addiction. Beginning soon, prisoners in the county’s jail will have access to a new drug therapy hoped to help them leave their addictions behind.

The new program, a partnership between the sheriff’s office, the Drug Court of Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit, Armor Correctional Health Services and Centerstone, will launch in the near future. Using funding from the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, the program will target county jail inmates who suffer from opiate addictions.

Inmates eligible for the program will receive VIVITROL, a monthly injectable medication that is used to treat opioid dependencies. The drug will be offered along with extensive therapy, the sheriff announced in a media release Friday.

"This is just another step we're taking locally to combat the national issue of opiate addiction," said Sheriff Tom Knight. "We are not so naive as to believe that arresting people will solve this problem.”

Candidates for the new program will be identified through Drug Court. To take part, inmates must be opiate-free for at least seven days prior to the first dose of medication. Staff from Centerstone and Armor Correctional Health Services will coordinate use of the medication along with providing ongoing drug therapy. Centerstone will offer outpatient care for inmates after release under supervision from Drug Court.

“The sheriff's office is a full-service agency which means not only working to eliminate the influx of heroin into our community, but also providing services and resources to the people who need it most,” Knight said.

While it is unclear just how soon the program will get under way, Sarasota will become the fourth known agency in the state to offer VIVITROL in its jail.

Sarasota has experienced ongoing and growing concerns related to heroin addiction. The sheriff’s office reported 14 overdoses and two deaths within a two-week period earlier this summer.

Image via Shutterstock