LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new program aims to break the cycle of incarceration and addiction in Clark County, and organizers say the preliminary results look promising.
I spoke to one former inmate who says the program changed her life.
The local nonprofit, Vegas Stronger, started its Post-Release MAT Program in early 2024.
The way it works is the nonprofit sends staff into the Clark County Detention Center to speak with inmates struggling with addiction and to build a rapport with them.
Then, when the inmates are released, if they choose to do so, they'll get picked up straight from CCDC by Vegas Stronger staff, who will take them to their facility at 916 N. Main Street.
There, they'll undergo medication-assisted treatment (MAT), a holistic approach to treating substance use disorder.
At Vegas Stronger, clients not only have access to clinical care, but also mental health counseling, food, clothing, exercise equipment, case management and other resources to help them get their life back on track.
Vegas Stronger CEO and founder David Marlon said he's grateful the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Detention Services Division will let him and his staff into the units at CCDC. He said the conversations he has there truly show just how deeply intertwined the issues of addiction and incarceration are.
Marlon said he'll ask inmates, "Okay, quick poll! Who thinks their drug or alcohol use has a causal effect to why you're here?" He said just about everyone will raise their hand in response.
"Overcoming a biologically based propensity to compulsivity is something that can't be done alone, so the fact that we have compassionate behavioral healthcare licensed professionals that we can connect them to right away is critical," Marlon said.
Vegas Stronger just released preliminary data from its Post-Release MAT Program, showing how program participants have fared on their recovery journeys so far.
"It's been steadily growing in both the number of clients we're able to help, and it's been increasing on the percentage who is successful," Marlon said.
According to Vegas Stronger, since the program began, 74 individuals have been referred through CCDC, with 51 clients admitted. Vegas Stronger has provided a total of 2,475 days in treatment, with an average length of stay of 28.5 days per participant. 88% of program graduates remain sober after 6 months, and 77% sustain sobriety after 12 months.
Marlon said their goal is to scale up this program to be able to serve more people. He added they'd also like to track more long-term measurements, as well as recidivism rates, housing stability and employment outcomes, although that data can be a bit more difficult to pinpoint in transient populations.
"It is definitely a data challenge," Marlon said. "But if we're able to have people who have been incarcerated four, five, six times and have been using a substance, if we're able to get them one year and into stable housing and stable employment, to me, we've given them a fighting chance. That's much better than prior lack of efforts and releasing them out the door on 1st Street and saying 'be a good boy,' and 'good luck.' To me, that's a recipe for disaster."
I sat down with a local woman named Ashley, one of the success stories to emerge from the program.
"It's just a different program. Other places don't offer what this place does," Ashley said.
Ashley told me she struggled with addiction in many ways, and that landed her in trouble with the law. While she was in CCDC, she said she connected with Vegas Stronger staff and once she got out of jail, she went to the nonprofit for help, eager to make a change in her life.
"I struggled with everything. I was in a very dark place and thanks to this place, they brought me back. They helped me find who I was," she said. "Thanks to them, I have a husband now, I have my son back. I have a family."
Now, she's celebrating milestones in her recovery journey and is reconnecting with family.
"Do you fear that without Vegas Stronger, you might have ended up back in CCDC where you began?" I asked Ashley.
"Yes," Ashley emphatically replied. "I've tried a lot of the other places. I've tried it on my own. Nothing helped me learn why I was using and how to treat that and this place does that."
Ashley said the world often fails to see those struggling with addiction for what they are: humans. She said Vegas Stronger treats their clients with compassion and care, while also urging them to take a long, hard look in the mirror and figure out the root of their battle with substance use disorder.
"They help you rewire your brain. They get to the core of the reason you're using," Ashley said.
This program is just one part of what Vegas Stronger does, and you don't necessarily have to be a justice-involved individual to get help. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and/or homelessness, you can get in touch with Vegas Stronger by calling (702) 202-6647, emailing contact@vegasstronger.org, or filling out this web form.
