Need Suboxone at the Allegheny County Jail? Get up at 3 a.m.

Incarcerated people with opioid use disorder receive Suboxone during the jail’s overnight shift, which takes place from 10 p.m to 6 a.m. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource) “PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for our free newsletters.” by Venuri Siriwardane, PublicSource May 28, 2024 Every night, Benjamin Sabo is jolted awake in his cell at the Allegheny County Jail.& A guard’s voice blares through the speaker mounted on the cell wall, rousing him from bed: “Sabo, your medication!”& He fights his grogginess and leaves his cell, joining a group of incarcerated people who, like him, have opioid use disorder. They sit in chairs while a nurse crushes tablets that treat the disease. They contain buprenorphine and are known by the brand name Suboxone. She places the crushed tablet under his tongue and tells him to stay seated until it’s fully absorbed through the mucous membranes, which takes about 10 minutes. He opens his mouth so a corrections officer can shine a flashlight into it, illuminating every crevice to make sure all traces of the tablet have dissolved — a security protocol to make sure he took the medication as directed.& & He returns to his...