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Aroostook County Jail Files Emergency Appeal Of Ruling Concerning Medication-Assisted Treatment

The Aroostook County Jail has filed an emergency appeal of a federaljudge's ruling that it must provide medication-assisted treatment to a Madawaska woman who says it is necessary to keep her opioid addiction in remission.

Attorney Peter Marchesi, who represents the county, says the appeal contends that the judge failed to properly weigh the opinions of jail administrators and the regulations designed to preserve jail safety and security, “given the substantial risks of introducing these drugs into the jail.”

Marchesi says the treatment drug buprenorphine is highly coveted by inmates as contraband.

He says the jail is not opposed to medication-assisted treatment and is actively involved in developing a program for the facility, but believes the decision would force it to move too quickly.

Brenda Smith is due to begin serving her 40-day sentence May 1.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.