Dear friend, On Wednesday, the Assembly passed S1795/A533 -- the life-saving bill that will mandate medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — the gold standard of treatment for opioid use disorder — in all New York State jails and prisons, which passed the Senate last week.This is a historic win that VOCAL-NY has been fighting alongside our allies for years.
Currently, people who are incarcerated in New York State are being forced into inhumane withdrawals, which leads to increased risks of overdose — people are 40 times more likely to die of an overdose the first two weeks of release. In 2019, this bill passed the Senate, but died in the Assembly in the final hours of the session. Since then, overdoses have surged to historic levels.
This bill will establish medication-assisted treatment in all New York State jails and prisons to ensure people have access to this lifesaving treatment at any point of their incarceration, the entirety of their incarceration, and through a collaborative reentry strategy to ensure continuation of their treatment in the community.
“We are excited this momentous bill has passed—it's been a long time coming, and it will save countless lives,” said Hiawatha Collins, board member and leader with VOCAL-NY’s Users Union. “With this bill, the legislature is putting an end to the practice of forcing people into inhumane withdrawal and ensuring people will have access to medication assisted treatment for their substance use disorders during their incarceration, their autonomy honored by offering all three forms of medication, and that there is a warm hand off with their care after their incarceration. Ultimately, however, we hope that this is a step towards ending the punitive approach towards drug use and moving towards a world without a drug war, where people who use drugs are treated with respect and given the care and support they deserve.”
This is a historic win that awaits the Governor’s signature, but the fight this legislative session is far from over.
In the remaining seven days of the session, the legislature must pass the bill to decriminalize and expand access to syringes, and the bill to remove barriers to MAT for people who are enrolled in Medicaid.
In solidarity,
Jasmine, Biz, and the Statewide Users Union.
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