Bristol County Sheriff’s Office announces expansion of inmate addiction services

DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WLNE) — In an effort to provide better addiction prevention and recovery services in the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, the Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program was expanded Monday.

According to officials from the sheriff’s office, all inmates who are within 120 days of their end of sentence date are eligible to be considered for the MAT program.

The program differs from the previous protocol, where inmates would need to prove they had a current treatment plan they were receiving prior to incarceration. This left many inmates without treatment after their release.

The program operates on a priority basis, working first with inmates being released into the community either on parole or at the end of their sentence.

The sheriff’s office said the goal is to provide the released people with the medications and community connections they need to continue their treatment.

According to the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, more than 19% of people in Massachusetts reported using illicit drugs in the last month. The BCSO further estimated that as much as 80% of the inmate population could benefit from substance abuse and or mental health treatment.

Officials said Expanding the MAT program is one step in closing that gap.