Massachusetts Prison Opioid Treatment

A federal inmate has won her lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and will be allowed to continue her methadone treatment while in prison. WGBH in Boston reports that the woman, Stephanie DiPierro, will begin her prescribed medically-assisted treatment immediately once she is incarcerated. No federal inmate had ever been allowed access to methadone treatment for opioid recovery, save for pregnant women in custody. DiPierro has received methadone for her recovery from addiction to heroin since 2000, and will now be allowed to continue treatment during her 366-day sentence. The Massachusetts American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent attorney Jessie Rossman to represent DiPierro, and upon the lawsuit’s victory, Rossman hopes that the case can become a precedent that affects the healthcare of all federal inmates. She told WGBH that she hopes that “the bureau will take a look at their policies and ensure that everyone within the Federal Bureau of Prisons is able to access the doctor prescribed medication.”

To learn more about methadone treatment, look here. To find an opioid treatment center or a doctor in Massachusetts, look here or here.