County jail opens up opioid treatment to all inmates

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Jail is now offering medication-assisted treatment to all inmates who suffer from opioid addiction.

The facility has gained a reputation as the county’s largest detox center, a place where more than one out of three inmates test positive for opioids. And many of those people are caught in a cycle of drug use, homelessness, crime and arrests.

In an attempt to break that cycle, the jail has partnered with Ideal Option to expand a pilot program so anyone booked into the jail can access Suboxone, a drug known to ease withdrawal symptoms and increase chances of beating addiction.

“When we treat addiction like a medical condition, rather than a moral failing that we expect to solve with a pair of handcuffs, we can break the cycle of drug-related crime and homelessness,” Sheriff Ty Trenary said, in a press release.

Trenary is running for re-election this year and is being challenged by Adam Fortney, a sergeant who works in the sheriff’s office.

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