equality. >> All right. Dant'e Cottingham,
thanks for coming in today. Thank you for having me.
Treatment is a key word in corrections, not only in how
inmates are treated, but whether those struggling with addiction
can get access to treatment. Here in now. Reporter Aditi
Debnath and PBS Wisconsin are collaborating with Wisconsin
project, asking people what issues matter to them this
election season. This is the first story in that series.
>> Some people don't have anybody, and on your release
day, you get your boxes and you are put out on the doorstep.
Like if you have a place to go or not.
released from Wisconsin prisons in 2023. That's roughly 550
every month for those with substance use disorders. That
reentry period is critical. And so at the time of reentry, we
know that rates of returning to use to substance use are very
high. That in combination with someone having now really no
tolerance, puts them at super high risk for having an overdose
if they return to use. Doctor Elizabeth Salisbury Afshar is a
public health expert at UW-Madison. She treats patients
with substance use disorders at UW Behavioral Health and
Recovery Clinic. If you compare rates of overdose in Wisconsin
to national numbers, we are definitely one of the states
with higher overdose rates. >> I was naive to a lot of that.
>> Amanda Church is a care provider at an assisted living
facility in Monroe County, and a mother of two. She was released
from the Techeetah prison in Fond du Lac in 2022 for drug
related offenses. >> Oh, just try this. You know
it's not going to hurt you. You'll never get addicted. And
you believe that as a kid like that, you have the willpower to
not get stuck using those drugs. And it goes downhill from there
and fast. >> Less than 10% of people that
complete the Wisconsin Department of Corrections
substance use treatment program are re-incarcerated during their
first year of release, but there's a massive wait list for
the program. Alicia Krause is the director of program services
for the Doc's adult prisons. >> We understand that there's a
large number of our population that needs assistance in working
through their substance use disorders.
>> Roughly 845 people in the doc's facilities are currently
enrolled in a substance use disorder treatment program, yet
more than 11,000 people are on the waitlist.
>> And we would like to be able to serve every single person
that we come into contact with at the highest level that they
need in terms of intervention and more research, more
resources would allow us to do that in the current state
budget. fund Evers proposal for expanded
substance use disorder programing. That includes things
like mental health, education and early release opportunities.
Detoxing abruptly in prison can be dangerous and ineffective in
the long term. >> You'd have the chills and
then you'd be high. And, you couldn't get comfortable
throwing up the race thoughts because you're just starting to
get your feelings back and like, you instantly go into that
regret and shame and guilt and all that medication for opioid
use disorder is one treatment that the doc is trying to make
more accessible. >> Doctor Salisbury Afshar
explains a couple of reasons why medications like methadone work
the first is we know these medications save lives. They are
first line treatments. >> We're piloting a medication
assisted treatment program at one of our facilities in
Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, with plans
already rolling out to expand that to other sites within the
division. people are incarcerated, it is
the legal responsibility of the jail or the prison. Whatever
environment someone is in to provide adequate health care. In
the current budget, the legislature provided more than
$4.6 million to expand access to medication for opioid use
disorder in prisons. That's different from the rejected
proposal, which sought to expand programing. The third reason, I
would say is I just think this is morally imperative, morally
imperative, she says. Because this medication that's not
widely available in prisons can prevent overdose deaths and
reduce continued drug use and reincarceration rates. Church
says that she received medications meant to treat some
of her withdrawal symptoms, but not her substance use disorder.
>> They don't have no sympathy for that. They're like, you
know, you're just a junkie like, sit it out. That's why you're
here and you're a criminal. And a lot of the employees aren't
there to help you. >> Experts say people in
recovery from substance use need continued support, safety and
community to continue their recovery.
the other people that are going through the same thing as you,
our peers. >> Most of them feel like nobody
cares. Nobody understands. support specialist at Just Dane,
a nonprofit that supports people affected by incarceration.
addiction and you've been to prison for 15 years and now
you're doing this, I want to know how you did that. He says
his own path to recovery could have started earlier if he'd had
someone to relate to. I want to know how you got here because
I've been trying to do this for 20 years, and I've been failing
for 20 years. accessible as a lifeline to
people who are in crisis and want to use again.
>> I just let them know, like, hey, before you make that
decision, call me, please. And I've had individuals call me
like, hey, you know, I'm in a bad spot. I, I want to use I,
you know, this isn't going right. And I'm like, well, where
are you? Let's let's talk for Schimel.
recovery is an act of choice to make every day.
>> It's hard to get out of that unless like something
dramatically changes your life and getting caught was probably
the best thing that happened to me. You're your contribution to
this community is important, but way more important than
addiction or incarceration. addiction or incarceration.