Settlement Reached Over Opioid Withdrawal Medication

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — State courts in Pennsylvania must allow people on probation to take medication for opioid withdrawal as part of a Justice Department settlement announced Thursday. Several plaintiffs say they suffered withdrawal rather than test positive and be sent back to prison. Lawyer Sally Friedman represented them as senior vice president of legal advocacy at the Legal Action Center in New York. She says the loss of the medication can be life-threatening. The settlement mandates training for judges and court personnel involved in court-ordered supervision. The plaintiffs will also share in a $100,000 settlement.