While incarcerated, individuals often undergo a period of reduced opioid use that may lead to a diminished physiological tolerance to opioids (Binswanger et al., 2007). Opioid use disorder (OUD) is more severe and advanced in justice-involved populations than in the general population (Winkelman, Chang, & Binswanger, 2018). Even prior to the current opioid-driven overdose epidemic, up to one-third of people who used heroin were incarcerated annually (Boutwell, Nijhawan, Zaller, & Rich, 2007). Opioid use and incarceration are interrelated problems in the United States. In addition to the need for improved detection and reporting, immediate efforts to 1) increase understanding of the risks of fentanyl and how to prevent and treat overdose among correctional staff and residents, 2) ensure widespread prompt availability of naloxone and 3) expand the availability of medications to treat opioid use disorder for people who are incarcerated will save lives. Conclusionsįentanyl-related overdoses are occurring in correctional facilities with unknown but likely increasing frequency. Among the 179 overdoses, 138 occurred in jails and 41 occurred in prisons, across the country. Not a single fentanyl overdose was identified in the medical literature, but 90 overdose events, comprising of 76 fatal and 103 nonfatal fentanyl overdoses, were identified in the lay press. We conduct a systematic search for publications about fentanyl overdoses during incarceration in PubMed and PsycINFO, as well as lay press articles in Google, from Januthrough March 30th, 2021.

Individuals who are incarcerated are particularly vulnerable, as the burden of opioid use disorder is disproportionately higher in this population, and tolerance generally decreases during incarceration. Fentanyl and related compounds have recently saturated the illicit drug supply in the United States, leading to unprecedented rates of fatal overdose.

Ridoc father program