(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A woman who sued the DuPage County sheriff to get access to methadone while she was in jail is now speaking out and urging jails across the country to accommodate people like her.
Fifty-three-year-old Christine Finnigan has been on methadone for two years.
Its purpose is to help her manage opioid use disorder.
Finnigan sued the DuPage County sheriff in February so that she could continue methadone treatment while she was jailed for a DUI.
Her lawsuit said the sheriff’s office had an unwritten policy that denied methadone to almost every inmate.
Her reaction leading up to her jail time?
“A panic attack. That’s the best way I could explain it,” she said.
The day she reported for her 30-day sentence, Finnigan’s lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge. The sheriff’s office agreed to give Finnigan methadone, anyway.
She and her attorneys at the ACLU want more jails across the country to offer methadone and not force inmates to go through withdrawal.
“Too many people are dying when they get out.”
The DuPage County Sheriff’s office has said it intends to expand inmates’ access to anti-addiction medications.
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