news

WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Mike Turner (R-OH), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and John Rutherford (R-FL) today introduced the Reentry Act, bipartisan legislation that empowers states to restore access to healthcare, including addiction and mental health treatment, through Medicaid for incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release. Representative Tonko, Turner, Pettersen, and Rutherford are joined by over 60 original cosponsors in introducing this legislation.

Their bill addresses alarming data showing that individuals released from incarceration are up to 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose during the first two weeks after release.

“The overdose crisis has touched communities of every state across the nation, and few are at greater risk than those individuals returning home from incarceration,” Congressman Tonko, Co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (ATR) Caucus said. “By restarting benefits for Medicaid-eligible Americans prior to release, our bipartisan Reentry Act takes swift, needed action to combat the disease of addiction and bring targeted treatment to the people who most need it. In short, our bill will save lives, lower costs, and reduce recidivism. I urge Congress to join us in advancing the Reentry Act without delay to combat the disease of addiction and provide hope to our communities.”

“Too many individuals leaving incarceration face overwhelming challenges, with recidivism and overdose rates alarmingly high in the weeks following release,” said Congressman Turner. “The Reentry Act is a bipartisan solution that allows states to restore Medicaid coverage 30 days before release, ensuring access to critical substance abuse treatment and healthcare during this vulnerable transition. By providing continuity of care, we can save lives, reduce repeat offenses, and help communities in Ohio and across the country fight the opioid epidemic. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this commonsense legislation.”

“Throughout my time in law enforcement, I saw many individuals reoffend time and time again as they struggled to break the cycle of substance abuse,” said Rutherford (R-FL-05). “Continuity of care for those leaving the prison system is important to help reduce instances of overdose deaths, suicides, and drug related crimes following reentry. That’s why I’m proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in supporting these important programs that help individuals who are released from prison to receive the mental health and addiction treatment they need right before and after they are released from incarceration. This legislation is smart on crime, saves lives, and reduces recidivism.”

The Reentry Act:

• Restarts benefits for Medicaid-eligible incarcerated individuals 30 days pre-release
• Makes it easier for states to provide effective addiction treatment and services, allowing for smoother transitions to community care and a reduced risk of overdose deaths post-release
• Does not change WHO is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP coverage, just ensures a warm handoff back for those already eligible.

A fact sheet on the reentry act can be found HERE.

More than 130 groups support the Reentry Act, including:

A Little Piece of Light, Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope, ACOG, Activate Your Life inc, Addiction Policy Forum, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Correctional Association (ACA), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, Alliance for Rights and Recovery, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Benevolence Farm, Big Cities Health Coalition, Black Male Initiative, BrainFutures, Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado, CADCA, Center for Justice and Human Dignity, Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative, Christian Love Agency, Coalition on Human Needs, Community Catalyst, Community Oriented Correctional Health Services, DC Peace Team, Drug Policy Alliance, Each One Teach One Reentry Fellowship, EvergreenDaley, Exchanging Pathways, EX-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) of Wisconsin, Fabian Consulting Inc., Fair and Just Prosecution, Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone, Florida Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Florida Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, Foundation for California Community Colleges, From the Block to the Boardroom, Future Stars of Tomorrow, Gateway Alliance Project, Grays House, Hinda Institute, HIV Medicine Association, Honest Jobs, HOPE for Prisoners, Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice, Indivior, InnerMission, Inseparable, Just Detention International, Just Future Project, Justice in Aging, JustLeadershipUSA, JustUS Coordinating Council, KLN Consulting LLC, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration (LEL), Legal Action Center, Los Angeles Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative, Major County Sheriffs (MCSA), MATTERS Network, Mental Health America, Mississippi Impact Coalition, My Meta ReEntry Services, Inc., My Sisters Reunited Reentry Services Inc, NACo, NAMI Huntington, NASTAD, Nation Outside, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Social Workers, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN), National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National League for Nursing, National League of Cities, National Nurses United, National Sheriffs Association, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc, Overdose Prevention Initiative, Petey Greene Program, Phoenix House NY, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, PrEP4All, Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) of New Mexico, Prison Cells To PH.D., (P2P), Rainbow Connections LGBTQIA, REACH Medical Ithaca NY, Reason for Hope, Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center at the University of MD, Baltimore, Reentry Ready, Reentry Working Group, Reflections of a Reformed You (RoarYOU), Reframe Health and Justice, ReNforce, Reproductive Justice Inside, Restored Citizens FAITH Foundation, Returning Artists Guild, Safer Foundation, Settling Our Differences, Skillsets for life consulting LLC, Solution Partners, St. Vincent de Paul Southwest Idaho Reentry Services, Survivors for Solutions, Süt&Tye luxury services llc, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, The AIDS Institute, The Change Up: Midnight Coalition, The First 72+, The Justice Policy Institute, The Liberation Foundation, The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, The Productive Offenders of Society Foundation, The Returning Artist Guild, Treatment Communities of America, United Men of Color, Unlock Higher Education, Urban Community Unity Solutions LLC (U.C.U.S.), Vermont Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Victory House for Women, Virginia Justice Alliance, Vital Strategies, We Are Revolutionary, Why not prosper, Women on the Rise, WorkingGroup512, Young People in Recovery, Youth First Justice Collaborative