FRANKFORT, Ky. — State lawmakers heard testimony on Tuesday about the growing use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine in county jails, with one facility reporting significant improvements in safety, reduced recidivism and lower operational costs after implementing the program, according to a Kentucky Legislative Research Commission release.

Boyd County Jailer William Hensley told members of the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government that his 206-bed facility has seen substantial benefits since beginning the medications for opioid use disorder program two years ago. The initiative is funded by a $422,000 state opioid abatement grant and does not draw from county general funds.

The long-acting injectable form of buprenorphine costs approximately $1,500 per dose, but Hensley emphasized that the expense is justified when considering administrative and operational savings. He noted that daily oral medication requires a 45-minute process per inmate involving movement and searches. Injectable doses, administered monthly, eliminate that burden and nearly prevent diversion of the medication.

"With the injectable, they get the shot once a month. There's no chance of diversion, and the staff is not having to move them back and forth," Hensley said.

Joyce Johnson, clinical director of outpatient services for StepWorks, a Kentucky-based addiction treatment organization, testified that while the initial cost of injectable buprenorphine is higher than oral formulations, staff savings are significant. She described buprenorphine as "a medication that activates and blocks certain brain receptors that are responsive to opiates," noting it is one of three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder.

Johnson highlighted the StepWorks program's success, which combines the monthly injection with group counseling and peer-led reentry services. The program has achieved a 2 percent recidivism rate, compared with Kentucky's average incarceration recidivism rate of 30.81 percent. She also stated that the risk of post-release overdose fatality is 120 times higher for individuals leaving incarceration without long-acting injectable medication.

Hensley described his facility's post-release support, which includes a full-time peer support specialist who assists inmates with documentation, conducts 30-, 60- and 90-day follow-ups, and connects individuals with community treatment resources.

Rep. Sarah Stalker, D-Louisville, asked about potential side effects. Johnson reported that injection site redness and swelling occasionally occur, but there is no difference in overall medication side effects between injectable and oral forms.

The Interim Joint Committee on Local Government will meet next on Oct. 20.