More Wisconsin Jails, Prisons Offer Opioid Addiction Meds

Wisconsin's jails and prisons have dramatically expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder, with nearly all facilities now offering treatment to incarcerated individuals. The expansion comes as the state has seen one of the nation's sharpest declines in overdose deaths, dropping 44% between 2023 and 2024.[12]

The increase in medication access has been striking. In 2021, only 41% of county jails provided any opioid use disorder medication; today, 81.5% of responding jails offer at least one type.[1] The Wisconsin Department of Corrections has made even more dramatic progress, with all 36 state facilities now providing medication access, compared to just 13 facilities in 2021.[1] The number of incarcerated individuals receiving opioid medications in state prisons jumped from 48 in 2021 to 302 in 2024.[1]

For Milwaukee-area residents, this shift has real implications. Brown County now provides all three types of opioid medications—buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone—while Winnebago County offers two types.[4] Additionally, all state prisons now distribute two doses of naloxone, an anti-overdose medication, to individuals with substance use histories upon release, a practice that didn't exist in 2021.[1] Research shows that providing these medications reduces overdose deaths after release, potentially saving lives across the region.

While progress is evident, gaps remain. Some facilities still don't provide access to certain medications or restrict them to specific individuals.[1] The Wisconsin Policy Forum's report suggests that continued expansion and standardization of these practices could further improve health outcomes as more institutions share best practices and learn from peers already implementing comprehensive programs.