How Inadequate Prison Care Adds to the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

The Takeaway

Very few state prisons offer adequate treatment for inmates who are addicted to opioids. We report on how a failure to treat those who are struggling with drug addiction in prisons is contributing to the nation’s opioid epidemic. Last spring, New Jersey opened a prison that’s dedicated to treating inmates who are struggling with drug addiction. We speak with the Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Corrections, Marcus O. Hicks, about the state’s new strategy for handling incarceration and addiction; we explore the future of Greece’s economy as the country makes its official departure today from a long bailout process following its debt crisis; and we consider what’s working and what’s not in recycling programs across the country.

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