Strategic Community Opioid Response (SCOR) Detention MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The Strategic Community Opioid Response (SCOR) Detention MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) Program is an innovative program run by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office to reduce opioid overdoses in the County and support effective linkage to treatment services for addiction recovery. Buncombe County has been disproportionally impacted by the opioid crisis. The program provides Medication Assisted Treatment to inmates diseased with Opioid Use Disorder to support their successful exit from the judicial system. This program was created based on data that 57% of registered opioid overdose deaths in Buncombe County (gathered from 5 years of data) had at least one booking in the detention facility meaning that in-custody treatment would be an effective strategy for combating opioid overdoses in Buncombe County. The program has promising outcomes as preliminary data analysis shows a 17% reduction in recidivism for those who use MAT verses untreated opioid uses. Additionally, early data findings reflect a 20% reduction of persons who died in 2020, having had a history of arrest in Buncombe County.