We often hear that it is easier to purchase drugs behind bars than on the street. To the casual observer, this might seem like a ridiculous concept. After all, jails and prisons are subject to the highest levels of security. Everyone and everything that goes into a correctional facility is searched with a fine-tooth comb – so how could drugs end up in the hands of inmates? What many people fail to realize is that there is considerable corruption among correctional officers – and a recent drug case in Massachusetts highlights this issue.
Jail Guard Allegedly Gave Suboxone Strips to Inmates
A correctional officer in Norfolk County faces serious drug charges after being accused of smuggling suboxone strips into a jail. The defendant was reportedly approached by one of the inmates, who offered payment in exchange for his assistance in a drug operation. The jail guard allegedly agreed and met with a female acquaintance of the inmate in a parking lot. The female co-conspirator provided the guard with suboxone strips, which he then smuggled into the jail alongside garbage bags.
Suboxone strips are FDA-approved, and they are used to treat heroin addiction. Proponents of this drug have testified before Congress on its ability to help treat heroin addicts. Perhaps most notably, it completely removes symptoms related to withdrawal while eliminating cravings. However, CNN notes that it can also be abused as a recreational drug – providing a "little bit of a high."
One has to wonder whether the inmates were abusing the suboxone or genuinely trying to treat their own addictions. Due to the supposed availability of drugs in prisons and jails, one would assume that heroin addicts could simply buy the "real thing" instead of using suboxone. One might also wonder why the jail wasn't giving suboxone to inmates struggling with withdrawal, especially given its FDA-approved status. Remember, heroin withdrawal can be fatal.
County Sheriff Patrick McDermott stated:
"[...]our number one role here at the sheriff's office and at our correctional facility is rehabilitation before these men go forward and back into their communities."
Regardless, the correctional officer has been fired – and he now faces penalties for drug conspiracy. He says he was promised $5,000 to participate in the operation, which he never received.