U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Feb. 6 proposed legislation that aims to help reduce recidivism and break the cycle of addiction by expanding access to resources and tools that can more effectively address substance use disorders among incarcerated individuals.
“By expanding treatment options, developing new training requirements for staff, and allowing those struggling with substance use disorder to seek evidence-based treatment, this legislation will save lives and prepare individuals for reintegration into their community,” Sen. Tillis said.
Sen. Cassidy and Sen. Tillis cosponsored the bipartisan Supporting Treatment and Recovery Over Narcotics for Growth, Empowerment, and Rehabilitation (STRONGER) Act, S. 3740, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and three other original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
“We should encourage our prisons to create a path for inmates to rebuild their lives free of addiction,” said Sen. Cassidy. “By starting the road to recovery while incarcerated and continuing it afterward, we are giving these Americans a second chance for a new life.”
If enacted, S. 3740 would update and reauthorize the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) program, which provides treatment and recovery resources to incarcerated individuals with substance use disorders, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Established under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the RSAT program provides grants to every state and U.S. territory, and through them, to state prisons and local jails to provide substance use disorder treatment programs to individuals under their supervision, the summary says.
These grants also provide community-based aftercare and post-release treatment that can include medication-assisted treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy and employment, transitional housing, and mental health services.
Specifically, S. 3740 would reauthorize RSAT funding for fiscal years 2025-2029 and provide program updates, including to allow grantees to use RSAT funds to offer treatment to individuals pretrial; to bolster the requirements that all treatment services adhere to established clinical standards; and to require that program staff be trained on the science of addiction, strategies for continuity of care during and after incarceration, and evidence-based behavioral therapies used to treat substance use disorder, among other provisions.
The legislation has been endorsed by multiple entities, including the Addiction Policy Forum, the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, the American Correctional Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Jail Association, the American Psychological Association, the Behavioral Health Foundation, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, among many others.