Corrections Connection Volume 32, Issue 2 February 2020 Corrections Connection February 2020 2 In this issue: Ending Addiction 3 Field Days Podcast 5 Corrections Officer of the Year 6 Strategic Plan Progress Report 7 Retirements and appointments 7 Settlement announcement 8 Vocational Village tour 8 Alger Combat Shoot 9 Susan M. Hunter Scholarship 9 Employee Engagement Survey 9 Former Director Caruso 9 COMS 10 Recycling tip 11 Success story 11 Senate invocation 11 The Extra Mile 12 Corrections Quiz 14 Polar Plunge 14 Snapshots 15 Corrections in the news 15 Seen on social media 15 New hires 16 Retirements 17 Corrections Connection is a publication of the The image on the cover was taken by Ray Closson, a Office of Public Information and Communications. corrections officer at Parnall Correctional Facility. Story ideas, feedback and comments can For the chance to have your photo featured on the be submitted to Holly Kramer at KramerH@ cover of the newsletter, email a high-resolution michigan.gov. version of the image and a description of where it was Like MDOC on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. taken to Holly Kramer at [email protected]. Committed to Protect, Dedicated to Success Corrections Connection February 2020 3 Ending Addiction Pictured: Physician Janak Bhavsar, Psychologist Manager Linda Bresette, Nurse Practitioner Ronald Drinkert and ADW James Malloy review Medication-Assisted Treatment information to prepare for implementation of the program at RGC. Michigan Department qualified mental health professional and get them the treatment they need, it will make facilities run a lot of Corrections launches more smoothly. It gives us another tool to use.” Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is a treatment Medication-Assisted approach that will combine the use of prescribed medications, cognitive behavioral therapy and recovery Treatment at Correctional support to help prisoners identified as having an opioid-use disorder overcome their addiction. Facilities Central Michigan Correctional Facility, Carson City Correctional Facility, and Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center will be the first facilities to pilot ike many of his fellow inspectors across the state, Medication-Assisted Treatment with implementation Mike Desco spent much of his time focused on expected in March. Women’s Huron Valley keeping substances like Suboxone out of prison. Correctional Facility will be added as a fourth site after LSo when it was announced in 2019 that the department the initial rollout of the pilot, which is expected to be would launch a Medication-Assisted Treatment expanded statewide in mid-2020. program in its prisons that included the controlled A growing health crisis use of buprenorphine, also known Suboxone, Desco’s Opioid use disorders have been recognized by the colleagues at Central Michigan Correctional Facility medical community as a serious chronic health issue expected him to balk at the idea. impacting millions of people nationwide. Instead, they were surprised by his response. Implementing MAT is an important step in “I really didn’t think it was a bad idea,” said Desco, efforts to combat the state’s opioid epidemic. now an acting assistant deputy warden. “If we can take In 2018 alone, Michigan had more than 2,000 opioid- away the illegal Suboxone issues and treat them with a Committed to Protect, Dedicated to Success Corrections Connection February 2020 4 useful and helpful.” Gaining momentum While system-wide availability of MAT for opioid use disorders is new to the Michigan Department of Corrections, it’s an approach that has already been successful in other states. The New York City Department of Correction has provided MAT since 1987. States including Rhode Island, California, Vermont, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington have also launched MAT programs and are seeing positive results. After Rhode Island implemented Pictured: Dr. Carmen McIntyre Leon, the MDOC’s Chief Medical Officer, talks to MDOC health care providers about Medication-Assisted Treatment during a recent training session. MAT for both its jail and prison systems, overdose deaths after related overdose deaths and more Access to MAT can help prevent release fell by 61 percent. In than 7,000 Michigan residents lost overdose deaths and improve California, prison rule violation their lives in the last five years to the outcomes for prisoners who had reports fell by 58 percent for opioid epidemic. struggled with substance use. prisoners participating in MAT. It’s why Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Prisoners are eligible to participate States using MAT have also November announced a goal to cut in MAT if they have been identified reported fewer cases of contraband opioid-related overdose deaths by as having a substance use or opioid introduction, less illicit substance half in five years. use disorder, have symptoms of abuse, fewer incidents of violence, “This epidemic touches all areas opioid withdrawal or recently a decrease in HIV and hepatitis C of our state and is one of the experienced an opioid overdose. transmission and better outcomes greatest health crises of our Treatment medications are for offenders post-release. lifetimes,” Whitmer said as the state expected to include buprenorphine, “Medication-Assisted Treatment, announced a slate of steps to combat naltrexone and methadone. along with additional substance the opioid epidemic, including Assessment and treatment will start abuse treatment services, increases the launch of MAT at correctional when offenders come to prison the likelihood of long-term facilities. The implementation of and will continue through parole, recovery, reducing the chance of MAT was also done at the direction under clinically-based treatment recidivism,” said Marti Kay Sherry, of Director Heidi Washington and plans. The MDOC plans to add 30 administrator for the MDOC’s included in the department’s new qualified mental health professional Bureau of Health Care Services. Overcoming objections Strategic Plan, released in 2019. positions to support MAT, and also In addition, Gov. Whitmer received funding from Bloomberg Though there is support in the declared February 24-29 Opioid Philanthropies to facilitate the medical community for MAT Use Disorder Awareness Week to implementation of the treatment and research shows its success, continue to elevate the conversation program. resistance to it and questions about around the opioid epidemic and “If we’re treating this specific it are not uncommon, especially in efforts to fight it. condition according to the standard correctional settings. Growing opioid use in Michigan of care, it’s going to make it more Beth Boyd, Substance Abuse communities is also being seen at likely they will stay on a positive Services manager for the MDOC, correctional facilities, where more and productive track,” said Ronald said it is important to keep in than 20 percent of incarcerated Drinkert, a nurse practitioner at mind that addiction changes a individuals have been identified Charles E. Egeler Reception and person’s brain in a harmful way. as having an opioid-use disorder. Guidance Center, or RGC, which Long-term opioid use even alters Those leaving prison are 40 to is a pilot site. “Things that are new brain chemistry and leads to 120 times more likely to die of and not how we’ve always done it uncontrollable cravings and intense an overdose within two weeks of can be scary. It doesn’t mean it’s not feelings of despair. Medications used release. something that’s going to be more in MAT move the healing process forward. Committed to Protect, Dedicated to Success Corrections Connection February 2020 5 “These medications help heal the brain, help the person “Talking to medical providers, no one is saying ‘why are engage in treatment and help them live their life in a we still doing this?’” Bhavsar said. “Our focus is how are productive way as they work through therapy and have we going to do it, so we can do it the right way.” more and more clean time,” Boyd said. Additional training for staff will also be important and Buprenorphine, or Suboxone, also has a ceiling effect plans to train staff statewide are in the works. that prevents users from continually experiencing highs “People think this is replacing one addiction with from it, she said. Those with opioid-use disorders who another addiction, but they don’t understand the take suboxone don’t experience any high from it, but science behind it,” said Linda Bresette, a psychologist withdrawal symptoms are decreased. manager at RGC. “That’s why training is so important. RGC Assistant Deputy Warden James Malloy said he I think people who are involved in any addiction are was initially apprehensive about MAT, but learning miserable in their addiction. We’re providing them with more about it helped him see the benefits. a safe space for treatment.” “The more we look at it as a prescription like any other Drinkert said MAT fits the department’s mission to we give out to take care of a particular disorder, the protect the community, while helping prisoners change better off we will be,” he said. “We want to give everyone their lives. an opportunity. At the end of the day, we just want a “The mindset that prison is punitive doesn’t go anymore,” safer Michigan and less people coming to prison.” Drinkert said. “There are others who genuinely need help Acting Assistant Deputy Warden Desco said when and this is one way we can do that.” colleagues approach him about MAT, expecting to hear Want to learn more about Medication-Assisted his reservations, it has instead given him an opportunity Treatment? to share the benefits of the treatment approach. Click the images below to hear Bureau of Health When the discussion ends, his colleagues often walk Care Services Administrator Marti Kay Sherry, away with a more supportive view of MAT. Substance Abuse Services Manager Beth Boyd and “Right now we’re seeing prisoners testing positive and Chief Medical Officer, Dr.