New York law says that jails and prisons must give people with opioid use disorder (OUD) medication to treat their condition. This applies to people entering facilities and those already there. The medications include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. These are “medications for opioid use disorder” or MOUD for short.
If you're in a New York jail or prison, they must:
- Give you a medical screening
- Create a treatment plan just for you
- Have qualified healthcare staff make decisions about your medication
Denying these medications is against disability rights laws. If your rights are being violated, you can:
- Contact the Correctional Association of NY through legal mail: P.O. Box 793 Brooklyn, NY 11207
- Call the Legal Aid Society's Prisoners' Rights Project at 212-577-3530.
- Or file a complaint with the US Department of Justice by mail: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
- You can also ask someone to file a complaint for you online, at civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Last Reviewed: May 7, 2025