This “Activity Report” by the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) presents data and commentary on the BJA-funded Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program (RSAT) for fiscal years (FYS) 2016-2019, with a focus on the prevalence and effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in RSAT programs.
The purpose of the RSAT program is to break the cycle of drug addiction and violence by reducing the demand for, use of, and trafficking of illegal drugs by improving the capabilities of state, local, and Indian tribal governments to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated offenders and prepare them for their reintegration into a community through reentry planning that focuses on preparation for and monitoring of community-based substance-abuse treatment. RSAT-funded residential treatment programs provide ideal settings for the initiation of MAT for those with alcohol and opioid addictions. MAT combined with counseling and behavioral therapies has proven effective in treating opioid dependency. The number of states and territories where RSAT program funds were used to offer MAT increased from 19 in 2016 to 41 in 2019. Naltrexone was the most popular form of MAT treatment for both jail and prison RSAT programs. An example is provided of how an effective RSAT MAT drug treatment program in one jurisdiction was used as a pilot for MAT programs in other correctional facilities. 3 figures