America’s Jails Swamped by Opioid Crisis

More addicts and a higher rate of mental health issues, combined with budget cuts, leave jails trying to cobble together health care and corrections

A direct supervision women’s bunkroom, which holds 58 inmates. Ten of the 44 women held here on Dec. 8, 2017, were actively detoxing from opioids, and the majority were on suicide watch. CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON/THE EPOCH TIMES

DAYTON, Ohio—On any given day, there are about 750,000 people in jails across America.

Most of them are connected to the opioid crisis in some way, says Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association.