Silas Kanady Social Science
California Prisons and Medication Assisted Treatment: Assessing the Impact of Medication Assisted Treatment in California Prisons
Scholars Journal
Kanady’s research aims to investigate the efficacy of Suboxone as a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) option within California prisons. He intends to investigate the concerns raised by some California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's (CDCR) doctors, who claim that prescribing Suboxone in carceral settings will exacerbate the addiction problem. The lack of tracking and data on post-release outcomes for those who were prescribed Suboxone in prison, leaves a question mark on the true efficacy of the program, which costs California taxpayers $160 M per year (during its first phase). Through interviews with formerly incarcerated people who witnessed CDCR’s Suboxone program, Kanady seeks to integrate the perspectives of formerly incarcerated individuals to inform evidence-based policy development, and enhance addiction treatment within the prison system. Kanady’s personal experience and insight from witnessing the effects of the Suboxone program during his own incarceration in a CDCR facility have informed his research project.
Major: Social Welfare
Mentor: Victoria Robinson, Ethnic Studies