MA Jail Treatment Program

To alleviate jail overcrowding, especially for inmates who are incarcerated for alcohol or drug-related crimes or probation/parole violations, TASC facilitates the MA Jail Pilot Program that offers long-term substance abuse treatment in lieu of jail time.

In conjunction with the Berks County Assistance Office (CAO), the medical and treatment departments at the Berks County Jail System (BCJS), the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA), and the Berks County Adult Probation & Parole Office, TASC conducts clinical assessments, makes treatment referrals, verifies that medical benefits are activated, and coordinates the jail release and treatment admission for each respective inmate referred to this program.

Designed as an alternative to incarceration, TASC admits up to 20 inmates each month to long-term treatment as part of this program. 

Jail MAT Project

In response to the current opioid crisis in Pennsylvania and Berks County, TASC was included in a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to operate a medication assisted treatment (MAT) option to inmates identified as heroin or opiate dependent who are incarcerated at the Berks County Jail System (BCJS).

The program consists of medication maintenance, involving either Suboxone or Vivitrol, as recommended by the physicians from PrimeCare Medical at BCJS. Along with medication, inmates must complete a 12 week cognitive behavioral counseling program facilitated by Berks Counseling Center (BCC) while incarcerated. Following completion, inmates are referred to a medication assisted treatment aftercare provider, their Medicaid benefits are activated, and they are released from prison. TASC then monitors the progress of each participant on a weekly basis to assure compliance with medication and counseling, while assisting each former inmate in successfully transitioning to a drug-free lifestyle.

To be eligible for this specialized program, inmates must meet the following criteria:

1. Berks County resident for at least 3 months prior to incarceration

2. Heroin or opiate dependence for at least 6 months

3. Failure to remain abstinent following previous residential or outpatient treatment programs

4. A willingness to become involved in medication assisted treatment and to use the medication appropriately