Recovery programs to focus on Vt. inmates with opioid addiction
WCAX
Vermont corrections officials are ramping up efforts to get addiction recovery coaches in more prisons. It comes as data shows 70% of inmates in Vermont are battling addiction.
Recovery centers across the state are working with the Vermont Department of Corrections to make sure inmates can access the care they need to get clean.
The recovery coach model has been seen as a success since it was implemented at the UVM Medical Center. Now, advocates at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County want to bring the program behind bars.
“Statistics show that a high percentage of individuals who are incarcerated are struggling with some form of substance use disorder. If there is no immediate support for them while they are incarcerated -- also while they are returning to the community -- then there is also a high probability of them dying,” said Turning Point’s Cameron Lauf.