Jeffery Lynn Peters was an inmate in the medical area of Galveston County Jail when he was discovered unresponsive. The 59-year-old had been detoxing and died on October 21, 2019.

Opioid detox is recognized as a critical issue that is currently common in county jails across the U.S. For several years now, an increasing number of sheriffs, who are in charge of county jails, have made efforts to get help. The expanded use of medication-assisted treatment for addiction is a potential solution in which such drugs as methadone and buprenorphine can be used to save lives.

Jail is not supposed to be a place where people go to die and that includes addicts. According to a leader in providing health services for county jails, if an opiate user detoxes in jail, there is a 40% chance of overdosing. Some jails allow addicts to use synthetic opioid substitutes while incarcerated. This is believed to not only temper cravings but help people stay away from opioids that are more powerful and destructive.

Another issue common in jails that complicates drug addiction is that mental health problems are often linked with drug issues.

As studies continue, research has shown so far that when it comes to reducing deadly overdoses and relapse in jails, medication-assisted treatment is effective and works quite well.

In the third and final part of this series, learn about specifications on detoxification cells in Texas county jails required by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS).

See Part 1 and this ongoing series.

This website is intended as an informational resource to assist inmates currently and formerly housed in county jails in Texas. There is never an intention on this site to suggest that improprieties on the part of persons or entities have occurred.

–Guest Contributor

GO HERE: https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=37&pt=9&ch=261&rl=333