The Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association, in partnership with The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, announced a new initiative providing intranasal naloxone, or Narcan, at no cost to county jails across the commonwealth.

This program will increase access for people returning to communities after incarceration.

Research suggests drug overdose is the leading cause of death among recently incarcerated people, with the highest risk of death within the first two weeks of release. An estimated 65% of people incarcerated in the U.S. have an active substance use disorder. Pennsylvania’s 63 county jails admitted and/or discharged an estimated 266,306 individuals with a substance use disorder in 2018.

Through this new statewide program - part of PCCD’s Naloxone for First Responders Program - the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association, under a grant received from the Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies will provide outreach, assistance and training to people working and placed in county correctional facilities on the use of this lifesaving medication.

PSA President and Fayette County Sheriff James Custer said, “We want to reduce deaths, overdoses and crime associated with drug addiction. Providing naloxone to those with a substance use disorder helps law enforcement meet those goals.”

“PCCD strongly supports efforts to address the opioid epidemic at the local level,” PCCD Executive Director Mike Pennington said. “Formerly incarcerated individuals are 40 times more likely to die of an overdose than the general population. This collaborative initiative will increase access to naloxone for some of the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.”

The PA Sheriffs’ Association will work with sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, wardens and other practitioners to develop resources to assist county jails in planning, developing and implementing naloxone distribution programs for people with substance use disorder leaving prison.

More information on the opioid crisis can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website at health.pa.gov.