To the editor: The Los Angeles Times’ June 19 article on medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles County jails omitted critical context and misstated key facts (“Overdoses in L.A. jails are fueled by long waits for drug addiction treatment, staffers say,” June 19).
As noted by LA Health Services, which includes Correctional Health Services (CHS), CHS currently has zero patients in custody on a wait list to receive medication-assisted treatment, whether requested at intake or later during incarceration. There has not been a wait list for months, and treatment typically begins within approximately 72 hours, with the exact timing dependent on factors such as clinical assessment, patient consent, medical history and safety considerations.
Medication-assisted treatment is voluntary. CHS offers treatment and services to all patients who choose to participate but cannot force anyone to accept care. Some patients are ready at intake; others request treatment later, stop, restart or change their mind. Recovery is personal.
CHS invests $30 million a year in medication-assisted treatment because this care saves lives every day. A wait list is not killing people in our jails. Treatment is not killing people. Overdoses from contraband drugs in the jails are killing people.
The public deserves facts that are accurate, current and complete.
Tim Belavich, Los Angeles
The writer is director of correctional health services at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
