From Legal Action Center:
Many incarcerated individuals, including young people, are living with a substance use disorder (SUD), mental health (MH) condition, and/or trauma, and the majority of these individuals will return to communities after completing their sentences. More funding and support are needed to improve access to
treatment and care for SUDs, including medication assisted
treatment (MAT), not only for people involved in the criminal
legal system, but also for everyone who may need it.
Prioritizing care, treatment, preventive, and harm reduction services would reduce the risk of recidivism as well as overdose and death. Instead of being reactive, we need decision-makers to prioritize intervention and prevention strategies that ensure people are appropriately deflected from the carceral system and proactively address the myriad root causes that lead to the social, economic, environmental,
psychological, and biological challenges and harms disproportionately experienced by Black and brown people across the country, and which often lead to their entanglement in the criminal legal system.
Additionally, to ensure formerly incarcerated and other individuals with convictions can overcome their pasts, move forward with their lives, and fully participate in society, we must be informed of, advocate for, and promote policies that eliminate the many discriminatory barriers justice-impacted people face when seeking quality health care, safe and permanent housing, higher education, employment with opportunities for advancement, and opportunities to exercise
their civil rights. Continue reading >>>
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