John,
In an ideal America, not one person would die of a drug overdose—but that America doesn’t yet exist. In 2023 alone, over 107,000 lives were lost. That number should shock anyone into action.
To put it into perspective: 107,000 people is more than the population of 98% of U.S. cities. It’s enough to overflow the largest stadium in the U.S. And most alarmingly, it means someone died of an overdose every five minutes in 2023. The figures for 2024 are still being calculated but it likely saw similar or even higher numbers. |
But overdose deaths don’t affect all groups equally. One of the most vulnerable populations is people recently released from incarceration. - Individuals leaving prison are up to 10 times more likely to experience a fatal overdose than the general population.
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In the first two weeks after release, their risk of dying from an overdose skyrockets to 129 times higher.
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We could reduce overdose deaths among recently released individuals by simply allowing them access to substance abuse treatment and other healthcare services before they leave prison through programs like Medicaid. Unfortunately, that is currently illegal. The law bars incarcerated individuals from receiving Medicaid—even though access to healthcare could save lives and help prevent reincarceration. Recognizing this problem, A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the Reentry Act—a bill that would allow Medicaid to cover treatment in the 30 days before release, giving people a fighting chance.
This is a common-sense solution that will reduce reincarceration and taxpayer burden, but most importantly would save lives!. But we need to push lawmakers to pass it.
Struggling with addiction + recent release = a deadly combination. Tell Congress: Pass the Reentry Act and give people the care they need before it’s too late. 👉 Sign the petition now👈 In solidarity, — the Justice Team at Dream.Org |
