[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__288783__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"288783","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/288783","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__288783__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__288783__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__288783__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EKidney stones nearly cost Gordon his life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tIn pain from the ailment, the 20-year-old history major at University of North Carolina was prescribed Oxycontin, a strong opioid painkiller. When that ran out, his cravings drove him to buy Oxy on the street. Soon he switched to heroin and within a year he had slid into full-fledged drug dependence. It got worse \u2013 he robbed banks to feed his habit and was arrested and sentenced to 47 months in federal prison.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/27986\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/warondrugs-denialoftreatment.png?itok=Rk_elv5E 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/warondrugs-denialoftreatment.png?itok=7Qvroeqh 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/warondrugs-denialoftreatment.png?itok=7Qvroeqh\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022425\u0022 alt=\u0022Rethinking the War on Drugs\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \n\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EGordon sought help for his drug dependence while awaiting trial. His doctor prescribed suboxone, a form of medication-assisted therapy proven to reduce cravings for opioids, and it provided the relief that Gordon had prayed for. But when he entered prison in March 2013, his budding recovery from drug dependence was abruptly disrupted. As is common in US prisons, the medium security facility where Gordon was sent only had an abstinence-based drug treatment program, so he was cut off from his medication \u2013 that, despite the fact that 1 in 10 inmates dependent on opioids do not respond to this sort of treatment, according to Bureau of Prisons data.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tGordon participated in the treatment programs but soon relapsed and began using drugs again. He was caught and punished \u2013 including 45 days of solitary confinement and loss of family visitation privileges for one year. He appealed, pointing out he had been in recovery before being sent to prison and begging for the medication that had worked for him outside. The prison authorities refused and later transferred him to a higher security prison where he was stabbed by another inmate and placed in protective custody.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tGordon was released in March and is now on probation. He works at a restaurant and is back on suboxone under the care of a physician. Unfortunately, his experience while behind bars is all too common. Inmates like Gordon continue to use drugs behind bars when prisons fail to provide effective treatment. But most US prisons do not offer medication-assisted therapy for opioid dependence and many delay any type of drug treatment until the final months of an inmate\u2019s sentence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tIn New York State prisons, Human Rights Watch \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/nyprisons0309webwcover_0.pdf\u0022\u003Edocumented\u003C\/a\u003E lack of access to treatment for opioids and other drugs, with inmates spending months, sometimes years, in solitary confinement for drug offenses within their facilities. Denial of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/nyprisons0309webwcover_0.pdf\u0022\u003Emedical care\u003C\/a\u003E for drug dependence, followed by punishment for possession of drugs, is a particularly cruel injustice that nearly cost Gordon his life. Until prisons respect the right of prisoners struggling with drug dependence to access the treatment they need, many others will continue to suffer unnecessary harm.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]