Medication-Assisted Treatment in Delaware Jails and Prisons

Medication-assisted treatment, often called MAT, is one of the most important public health tools for people with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. In correctional settings, MAT combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and recovery support. In Delaware, this issue matters especially because the state operates a unified correctional system, meaning adult detention and correctional services are managed statewide by the Delaware Department of Correction rather than by separate county jail systems. That structure makes Delaware a useful example of how jail and prison treatment policy can be coordinated across the full correctional continuum. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/))

As of today, Delaware's Department of Correction says its behavioral health services include medication assisted treatment, therapeutic communities, psychiatric care, and discharge and re-entry services. The department also states that it provides treatment across Level V incarceration facilities and Level IV community-based settings such as work release and residential drug treatment. That matters because continuity of care is a major issue for people entering, staying in, and leaving custody. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))

Why MAT matters in correctional facilities

People in jail and prison have high rates of substance use disorder, and the period after release is especially dangerous because tolerance can drop during incarceration. That means a person who returns to use after release faces a much higher overdose risk. Delaware's own policy and planning documents recognize this reality and frame MAT as part of a broader response to substance use disorder, reentry, and public safety. ([ltgov.delaware.gov](https://ltgov.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2025/04/1726858364-delaware-recommendations-for-oud-treatment-expansion-final-pdf.pdf))

In practical terms, MAT can help reduce withdrawal symptoms, stabilize cravings, and support engagement in counseling or other services. In a correctional setting, that can improve health outcomes inside the facility and may also improve the chances that a person continues treatment after release. Delaware's correctional health system has explicitly tied substance use treatment to discharge and re-entry planning, which is important because treatment that stops at the prison gate is often not enough. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))

How Delaware has expanded MAT

Delaware has been moving toward broader access to MAT for several years. A 2019 DOC announcement said the department was expanding its MAT program to Level V prison facilities statewide. By 2020, the state said MAT was available in every prison and work release facility statewide. More recently, DOC materials and state news releases continue to describe MAT as part of the correctional health and behavioral health system. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/assets/documents/newsroom/2019/19press0730.pdf))

That expansion is significant because many correctional systems in the United States have historically offered limited access to MAT, even though it is widely recognized as an evidence-based treatment. Delaware's approach suggests a statewide model rather than a patchwork model. In a unified system, that can make it easier to standardize screening, prescribing, monitoring, and discharge planning. ([ltgov.delaware.gov](https://ltgov.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2025/04/1726858364-delaware-recommendations-for-oud-treatment-expansion-final-pdf.pdf))

What Delaware's current correctional health structure looks like

Delaware's Department of Correction says its Bureau of Healthcare, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services contracts for medical and behavioral health care in Level V and Level IV facilities and also provides behavioral health services to people on supervised probation. In 2023, the state said a redesigned statewide substance abuse treatment program called Road 2 Recovery had substantially increased MAT for incarcerated individuals. That suggests Delaware is not treating MAT as a side program, but as part of a broader correctional healthcare strategy. ([news.delaware.gov](https://news.delaware.gov/2023/05/05/department-of-correction-signs-contracts-for-correctional-healthcare-services/))

The department also says it uses evidence-based programming and accountability through compliance and accreditation. For readers trying to understand what that means in practice, it usually points to a system that aims to match treatment to risk and need, while also maintaining institutional safety. In correctional settings, that balance is essential because treatment programs must work within security rules, medication controls, and staffing constraints. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/bureau_of_prison.blade.shtml))

Jails, prisons, and the Delaware context

In Delaware, the distinction between jail and prison is less fragmented than in many states because the Department of Correction oversees adult detention and correctional services statewide. The state's own description notes that Level V is 24-hour incarceration and that jail generally describes offenders serving one year or less. This unified structure can make it easier to align MAT policies across pretrial detention, sentenced incarceration, work release, and reentry. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/))

That said, a statewide system does not eliminate challenges. Correctional facilities still have to manage medication security, clinical staffing, diversion risks, and continuity when people move between custody levels or return to the community. Delaware's recent emphasis on mail screening and contraband control also shows how seriously the state views the risks of drugs entering facilities, which is relevant because safe MAT delivery depends on strong medication management and institutional controls. ([news.delaware.gov](https://news.delaware.gov/2024/03/26/department-of-correction-expands-enhanced-mail-screening-system-to-all-state-prison-facilities/))

Reentry is where MAT can make the biggest difference

One of the strongest arguments for MAT in correctional settings is reentry. People leaving jail or prison often face unstable housing, interrupted insurance coverage, and limited access to community providers. Delaware's correctional and reentry materials repeatedly connect treatment with discharge planning, and the state's broader reentry efforts have highlighted MAT as a statewide service available in prison and work release settings. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))

In a practical sense, that means the best MAT programs do more than dispense medication. They identify people early, continue treatment during custody, and help connect them to community care before release. For Delaware, that continuity is especially important because the state's correctional system supervises both incarcerated individuals and a large probation population, so treatment can bridge institutional and community supervision. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/))

What to watch next in Delaware

Looking ahead, the key questions are not whether MAT belongs in correctional care, but how well it is being delivered and sustained. Important issues include access at intake, timely continuation for people already on treatment, discharge planning, and coordination with community providers. Delaware's current policies and public statements suggest the state understands these priorities, but like any correctional health system, it must keep adapting to staffing, security, and treatment demands. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))

For families, advocates, and policymakers, Delaware's experience offers a clear lesson: medication-assisted treatment in jails and prisons is not just a medical issue. It is also a public safety issue, a reentry issue, and a continuity-of-care issue. In a state with a unified correctional system, the opportunity is to make treatment consistent from intake to release and beyond. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/))

Key takeaways

• Delaware operates a unified correctional system, which helps coordinate jail and prison treatment statewide. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/))
• MAT is currently part of Delaware DOC behavioral health services and is tied to discharge and reentry planning. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))
• The state expanded MAT to prison facilities statewide in 2019 and said it was available in every prison and work release facility by 2020. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/assets/documents/newsroom/2019/19press0730.pdf))
• Delaware's Road 2 Recovery program and correctional healthcare contracts show that MAT is being treated as part of a broader substance use treatment system. ([news.delaware.gov](https://news.delaware.gov/2023/05/05/department-of-correction-signs-contracts-for-correctional-healthcare-services/))
• The biggest value of MAT in correctional settings is continuity: treatment inside custody should connect to treatment after release. ([ltgov.delaware.gov](https://ltgov.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2025/04/1726858364-delaware-recommendations-for-oud-treatment-expansion-final-pdf.pdf))

For Delaware, medication-assisted treatment in jails and prisons is no longer a niche idea. It is part of the state's correctional health strategy, and its success will depend on consistent access, careful implementation, and strong reentry support. ([doc.delaware.gov](https://doc.delaware.gov/views/behavioralhts.blade.shtml))

Other Relevant Articles for Delaware

Relevant County Info

Information is sourced from publicaly available information and may be inaccurate