Governor Peter Shumlin has announced a pilot program to treat opiate addiction in newly released inmates.
Shumlin said Tuesday that inmates released from the Marble Valley Correctional Center in Rutland will be offered naltrexone, a once-a-month injection that helps patients overcome addiction to heroin and other opiates by blocking the euphoric effects of those drugs.
Shumlin says people under supervision of the Department of Corrections are at a higher risk for opioid addiction and Rutland is one of the areas in the state with the highest need for medication assisted treatment and recovery services. He says "naltrexone especially promising for treating people coming out of our correctional system, who may be motivated to stay clean but are struggling."
About 350 individuals will participate in the pilot program, which will be expanded to other parts of the state in coming months. The pilot program is funded through a three-year, $3 million federal grant.
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