The state is changing how it treats addiction for civilly committed men at a Plymouth prison. A nonprofit says it’s not good enough.
THE STATE IS CHANGING HOW IT TREATS ADDICTION FOR CIVILLY COMMITTED MEN AT A PLYMOUTH PRISON. A NONPROFIT SAYS IT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
July 2, 2020
The Patriot Ledger
By Joe DiFazio
The state says it is changing how it treats men civilly committed for addiction at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Plymouth, trading in corrections officers for more clinicians. But, Prisoners’ Legal Services, which is suing several state agencies and officials over men’s treatment there, says prisons are not an appropriate place to treat these men.
PLYMOUTH — The state says it is changing how it treats men civilly committed for addiction at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Plymouth, trading in corrections officers for more clinicians. But Prisoners’ Legal Services, which is suing several state agencies and officials over men’s treatment there, says prisons are not the appropriate places to treat these men.
The treatment center is housed deep within Myles Standish State Forest in a state prison and treats alcohol and opioid use disorders for men who have been civilly committed under a state law known as Section 35.
The law, considered a tool of last resort, allows family members, police officers and doctors to ask a judge to force someone into substance abuse treatment for up to 90 days, usually against their will. Most civilly committed men in Massachusetts end up at the low-security prison in Plymouth. The facility is run by the state Department of Correction and, until May, housed civilly committed and criminally sentenced men.