Sheriff's Office: Up to 90 percent of Snohomish Co. inmates battling heroin withdrawl

There's a new strategy in Snohomish County to help addicts find their way back into sobriety and society.

It comes in the form of a new pilot program at the Snohomish County Jail.

It's a medication-assisted detox program aimed at helping inmates get through withdrawal.

Inmates who need to get sober from opioid addiction will receive Suboxone, an FDA-approved medication to help with opioid detox.

The medical unit there has trained three staffers, a physician and two nurse practitioners, allowing them to become eligible for a prescription waiver.

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That waiver will allow them to help manage withdrawal for up to 25 patients at a time, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's office.

The majority of inmates in the jail's medical housing unit - up to 90 percent - struggle with heroin withdrawal.

The hope, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, is to help those who are addicted leave jail with a better hope for sobriety.

Cox Media Group