Rachel Crumpler | NC Health News

People leaving North Carolina prisons are far more likely to die of an overdose in their first weeks back home. Prison officials are trying to reduce that risk by providing medications for opioid use disorder before release.

Thirty EMS agencies across North Carolina are approved to administer the addiction medication buprenorphine in the field; their goal is to bridge the gap between overdose and ongoing care.

As the state works to ramp up support for formerly incarcerated people, one nonprofit is hitting the road to fill in gaps and provide on-the-ground support.

Advocates hoped 2023 eligibility changes would increase medical releases. So far, that hasn’t happened.

State officials aim to reduce homelessness among formerly incarcerated people through Reentry 2030 — but safe, affordable housing is one of the biggest barriers to successful reentry.

Unshame NC also aims to increase awareness of life-saving medications used to treat opioid use disorder.

The state’s 2023 law permits abortions for “life-limiting” anomalies during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, but patients and doctors say the law’s gray areas leave some people behind.