Is Punishing An Offender For A Drug Relapse Cruel And Unusual? Massachusetts' High Court Will Decide

The case involves a woman who tested positive for drugs in her system while she was on probation. Within hours, she was shackled, strip-searched and incarcerated, with no access to treatment. Now a court must decide if that's the right course of action to take with offenders who are struggling with addiction. The decision could ripple throughout the country.

The New York Times: She Went To Jail For A Drug Relapse. Tough Love Or Too Harsh?

As soon as Julie Eldred was granted probation for stealing jewelry to buy drugs, she got busy fulfilling the judge’s conditions. She began an intensive all-day outpatient treatment program. She even went an extra step and started daily doses of Suboxone, a medication that can quell opiate cravings. Then she relapsed and snorted her drug of choice — fentanyl.To stop from plunging into free fall, she asked her doctor for a stronger dose of Suboxone. She stayed clean the next day. And the next. (Hoffman, 6/4)

In other legal news —

Reuters: Florida Doctor Admits Taking Kickbacks From Insys, Others

A Florida doctor has admitted, as part of a plea deal, that he received kickbacks from Insys Therapeutics Inc in exchange for writing prescriptions for a powerful fentanyl-based pain medicine. Dr. Michael Frey, 46, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in Fort Myers, Florida, to conspiring to receive kickbacks from a medical equipment provider and a pharmacy sales representative. (Raymond, 6/4)

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