Jail for Rehab
Is jail the answer to the opioid epidemic
With the opioid crisis ravaging the state of Massachusetts, one county has taken a hands-on approach by jailing men, often against their will, in order to provide them with drug addiction treatment.
Current clients of Hampden's controversial treatment, such as Antoine Diaz, praise County Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s unconventional approach to drug addiction: "I swear to you his message and his way for recovery is passionate, real... it's progressive, it's different". Yet critics like prisoners’ rights activist Bonnie Tenneriello say that incarcerating addicts is harmful. "It furthers a belief in our communities that [drug addicts] are bad", says Tenneriello. Sheriff Cocchi argues that his controversial programme is a front-line response to the devastating effects of drug abuse. "People point at us and say it shouldn't happen there. Well where else is it gonna happen?" says Cocchi.
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