Kendra Sawyer tragically took her own life at the age of 22 while in the Deschutes County jail, in the midst of opioid withdrawal. Her father, Kent, believes that her death could have been prevented if the jail had provided her with medication to ease her withdrawal symptoms. Oregon jails may see an increase in inmates struggling with opioid addiction following the state’s drug decriminalization law, Measure 110. Efforts are underway during the legislative session to roll back this law and provide more funding for medications used to treat opioid addiction in jails.
State lawmakers from both parties are advocating for more funding for medication treatment programs in jails, in response to the fentanyl crisis that has led to a significant increase in overdose deaths in Oregon. A proposal has been put forth to allow jails to apply for grants from a $10 million fund to create or expand medication treatment programs. Jail-based treatment programs have been shown to save lives by allowing individuals to continue or start recovery while incarcerated.
Federal data shows that roughly 60% of people in American jails have substance use disorders, and overdose is a leading cause of death for people newly released from jail. However, only a small percentage of jails provide opioid addiction medication to inmates, even those with prior prescriptions. Recent court rulings have found that withholding addiction treatment medication from inmates with prior prescriptions violates federal law, leading to more states and local counties expanding access to medication treatment in jails.
In response to the opioid crisis, states like Washington have proposed additional funding to expand medication treatment programs in jails. Other states, including New York, Vermont, Maryland, and Utah, have passed laws requiring jails to provide medication for opioid use disorder to inmates with prior prescriptions. Lawsuits have been filed against jails, such as the one filed by Kent Sawyer against Deschutes County in Oregon, alleging negligence in the death of his daughter Kendra due to lack of treatment for her withdrawal symptoms.
Jails in other states, like New York’s Saratoga County, have had success with offering opioid addiction medication to inmates, resulting in lower recidivism rates. Advocates emphasize the importance of funding such treatment programs in jails to address the opioid crisis and save lives. Kent Sawyer hopes that his daughter’s story will bring about change and raise awareness about the need for better treatment of opioid addiction in jails to prevent further tragedies.
