John Cornyn, Sheldon Whitehouse Aim to Expand Prison Addiction Treatment

John Cornyn

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand substance use disorder treatment for incarcerated people and strengthen reentry services through an updated federal program.

The Supporting Treatment and Recovery Over Narcotics for Growth, Empowerment, and Rehabilitation (STRONGER) Act would reauthorize and update the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) program, which provides grants to states and U.S. territories for treatment programs in state prisons and local jails.

The program also supports community-based aftercare and post-release services, including medication-assisted treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, employment assistance, transitional housing, and mental health services.

"Ensuring incarcerated individuals have access to additional treatment is not only proven to reduce recidivism through the successful RSAT program, but it is also morally right," said Sen. Cornyn.

Sen. Whitehouse said Rhode Island's experience with substance use treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder, shows how treatment in jails and prisons can help address addiction and recidivism.

Under the STRONGER Act, RSAT grantees would receive greater access to medication-assisted treatment, while training requirements would be expanded to promote best practices for reentry and continuity of care. The legislation would also require participating programs to establish affiliations with doctors who can administer medication-assisted treatments.

"Support for people battling addiction is a bipartisan priority in Congress," said Whitehouse. "I'm pleased to partner with Senator Cornyn on this legislation to expand access to treatment and recovery options for people who are incarcerated."

The bill is backed by organizations including:

National Criminal Justice Association
National Association of Social Workers
Major County Sheriffs of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
American Psychological Association
National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Raeylee Barefield

Raeylee Barefield is a Legislative Correspondent based in Austin, Texas, specializing in state government and public policy. With one year of reporting under her belt, she covers legislative developments, committee hearings, and policy debates. She has been cited by Texas Politics and Big Energy for her coverage and analysis of legislative and regulatory issues. Her reporting typically focuses on Public policy, Stare government, environmental policy, and energy regulation. To contact her, please reach out at Raeylee@dnm.news