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Kent jail describes MOUD efforts; staff report limited reach amid short stays and diversion challenges
Summary
The Kent Correctional Facility described its medication‑for‑opioid‑use disorder (MOUD/MAT) program, procedural safeguards, participation and diversion statistics, and reentry referrals; staff said short average stays and regulatory costs limit program scale.
Commander Armstrong briefed the council workshop on April 15 about the jail’s medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) / medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program.
Armstrong said the jail’s program focuses primarily on MOUD medications such as buprenorphine formulations (Subutex/Suboxone variations) and naloxone distribution at release. He explained that methadone is difficult to provide on site because of program regulations and logistics; long‑acting injectable formulations exist but are cost‑prohibitive for routine use in the facility.
The jail resumed a MOUD dosing program in November 2023, with its medical provider prescribing Subutex in the facility and staff administering medication under strict procedures. Protocols include urine screening, pre‑dose medical screening (including EKG and lab work as needed), an intake agreement, and supervised dosing sessions in a multi‑purpose room each morning. Correctional officers stay with participants 15–20 minutes after dosing to observe for adverse effects and to reduce diversion risk; staff then perform additional checks before inmates rejoin housing units.
Armstrong said that, since November, the facility placed approximately 113 participants on the program; about 16 diversions were reported (roughly a 14 percent diversion rate of participants). He also reported that the jail handled about 3,462 bookings during the same period and that the average length of stay was about 11.9 days — a short average stay that makes it difficult to complete the intake and dosing timeline (Armstrong noted that it can take about 10–14 days to complete the intake process required to place someone on the program). The jail provides naloxone to participants and offers flyers and referral information for community MOUD providers at release.
Council members asked about detox protocols, diversion outcomes and follow‑up after release. Armstrong said medical staff can use short taper protocols for people in acute withdrawal and that reentry partners (including REACH and court resource coordinators) help connect people to community‑based programs; he said follow‑through after release is inconsistent and the jail has limited capacity to monitor community adherence.
Armstrong described procedural safeguards and internal discipline for diversion and said the program has reduced some drug‑seeking behavior inside the jail because potential participants now know the jail offers a program. He also said cost and administrative constraints have limited expansion of injectable medications and that the city is monitoring state Medicaid waiver efforts and grant cohort pilots that could affect funding options for jail‑based services.
