August 8, Wisconsin Health News

Fourteen offenders have completed a Department of Corrections’ opioid addiction treatment program, bringing the total number of graduates from the program to 58, according to a Tuesday statement.

The program got its start with $1.6 million from Gov. Scott Walker’s 2015-17 biennial budget. It received an additional $1.6 million this biennium.

The program provides medication-assisted treatment over a yearlong period, providing naltrexone to treat inmates with opioid dependency.

It targets inmates with a history of opioid dependency being released into Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Waupaca and Winnebago counties.

“The treatment offered through this program and drug courts across Wisconsin can transform lives and loosen the opioid epidemic’s hold on Wisconsin,” Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement.

After finishing the program, participants receive additional AODA treatment through the Department of Corrections or a medical provider.