SCRANTON, PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH – Pennsylvania correctional facilities are being held accountable for their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide inmates with access to medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania hosted a virtual training to educate prison and jail staff on their obligations under the ADA.
The training, held on July 23, 2024, was open to all prison and jail staff and had over 100 participants, including wardens, security professionals, and medical staff from across the Commonwealth. The training was a response to recent federal enforcement actions involving the criminal justice system.
In November 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania resolved an ADA matter with the Allegheny County Jail for failure to provide inmates medication to treat OUD. In December 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed a Statement of Interest in a matter against a Delaware County correctional facility to clarify state and local jails’ obligations under the ADA to provide inmates with access to medication to treat OUD.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Civil Rights Division, settled a matter with the Uniform Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) in January 2024 to resolve allegations that UJS courts violated the ADA by preventing individuals under court supervision from taking lawfully prescribed medication to treat OUD.
The training featured remarks by Dr. Paul Joudrey of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on the science behind and importance of all three medications in the treatment of OUD. Heidi Carroll, Diversion Program Manager for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Division, and Dr. Patti Juliana, Director of the Division of Pharmacologic Therapies at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, addressed recent regulatory changes designed to improve access to methadone in correctional facilities.
Defendant: Uniform Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) – Crime: ADA Violation – City and State: Pennsylvania – Date: January 2024 – Outcome: Settlement – Dollar Amount: Not specified – Tags: ADA Violation, Civil Rights Division, Opioid Use Disorder Medication Accessibility.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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