ORANGE JAIL ALTERS POLICY ON METHADONE

The Orange County Jail will begin administering methadone to some inmates,
a watershed policy change that comes two months after an inmate died during
withdrawal.

Initially, the agreement to continue patients' doctor-prescribed treatment
behind bars will extend only to clients of The Center for Drug-Free Living
in Orlando, Central Florida's largest, private nonprofit drug-treatment center.

But negotiations are under way with three other Central Florida methadone
clinics for similar agreements, said County Chairman Rich Crotty, who had
urged the jail to change the policy.

"We really can't sit and do nothing," he said. "Somebody died in our jail
for a second time and we had to respond with an interim procedure for
handling methadone patients in our jail."

Crotty was referring to the deaths of inmates Karen Johnson and Susan
Bennett. Johnson, 43, and Bennett, 42, had been on methadone treatment to
break addictions to painkillers. Both died in methadone withdrawal, Johnson
on June 7 and Bennett in 1997.

Until now, the jail's policy called for inmates on methadone -- a synthetic
narcotic used to wean addicts from heroin and opiate painkiller addictions
- -- to withdraw cold turkey. Methadone withdrawal can cause severe distress,
such as continual vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and seizures. The jail's
policies warned that methadone withdrawal can be fatal.

Under the new guidelines, when inmates say they are on methadone treatment,
jail medical staff will verify that information with The Center for
Drug-Free Living -- and other centers once they are on board. The center
will send seven days' worth of dosages in a lockbox to the jail pharmacy;
the courier will not have a key to the box. Jail nurses will administer the
dosages. Physicians at the jail and the center will collaborate on any
medical problems that might arise.

The jail's guidelines also will be changed so that inmates who are
withdrawing from methadone will get medical attention sooner.

Johnson's mother, Catherine Hirsch, said she feels good that her daughter's
death was not in vain. "I'm glad they're going to do it now," she said.
"Maybe it will save someone's life."

Ron McAndrew, the interim jail director, said he hoped to work out similar
arrangements with three other licensed methadone-providers: The Orlando
Methadone Treatment Center and The Central Florida Treatment Clinic, both
in Orange County, and The Mid-Florida Methadone Center in Osceola County.

McAndrew said he had started discussions with The Central Florida Treatment
Center and had been unable to reach the other directors.

"It's the right thing to do," McAndrew said. "It's a horrible thing that
people are addicted to drugs. But the withdrawal from these is a serious
issue."

Several clinic directors estimated that at any given time, some inmates are
undergoing methadone withdrawal at the jail.

The center's spokeswoman said inmates would pay for their treatments while
behind bars just as they do at the clinic -- by paying out-of- pocket,
through insurance or Medicaid.

The new methadone policy was cheered by former state Rep. Bill Sublette,
who heads up a task force looking into several issues at the jail,
including medical services.

The Chairman's Jail Oversight Commission will study the methadone policy,
with an eye toward making it permanent, Crotty said.

He also announced the final support staff who will assist more than a dozen
community leaders on the commission. They include County Criminal Justice
Coordinator Walt Gallagher, who will be staff director, and county
employees Ron Johnson, Rene Rodon, Bob Pickerill and Steve Smith.