Andraka-Christou, B., Gabriel, M., Madeira, J., & Silverman, R. D. (2019). Court personnel attitudes towards medication-assisted treatment: A state-wide survey. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 104, 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.06.011 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31370988/ 

This article provides insight into the attitudes of justice professionals on MOUD treatment for the justice involved population. Study participants were employees in the state court and criminal justice systems, including judges, probation officers, law enforcement officers, health care practitioners, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and others. This article concluded that court employees’ attitudes significantly differ by medication, with average attitudes towards agonist medications being more negative than attitudes towards extended-release naltrexone, despite a larger evidence base for the efficacy of methadone and oral buprenorphine. Justice personnel may have more positive attitudes towards extended-release naltrexone due to targeted marketing by the pharmaceutical manufacturer, fears about diversion or misuse of agonist medications, and historic criminal justice hostility towards agonist medications. Importantly, previous education/training regarding MAT is associated with more positive attitudes, suggesting that more awareness-raising or capacity building educational interventions are needed, especially for prosecutors and law enforcement personnel. This resource would be useful for any justice professional interested in learning more about the subject. 

Bottom Line: Criminal justice personnel who work in court settings had more positive attitudes toward extended-release naltrexone than methadone and buprenorphine, possibly due to lack of formal education on MOUD.