Earlier today, officials from the DuPage County Jail confirmed to a federal court in Chicago that Christine Finnigan, a woman with the disability of opioid use disorder (OUD), will be provided her life-saving, prescribed medication for addiction treatment while she is at the DuPage County Jail. Critically, the officials tell the court that “Ms. Finnigan will continue receiving her methadone prescription for the duration of her incarceration so long as she does not develop any health issue which contraindicates continuing methadone treatment.”
Ms. Finnigan was represented in this matter by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Illinois, Legal Action Center, and the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center. In response to today’s news, Ms. Finnigan’s legal team issued the following statement:
“We are thrilled for Christine and pleased that the Jail intends to provide her prescribed, life-saving medication during this time. It will be a great relief to her. As we have said throughout our pursuit of this matter, the critical issue was protecting Christine’s life and recovery. We also want to recognize Christine’s bravery in bringing this suit.
During the litigation, the Jail revealed that it had not provided methadone to a single non-pregnant person since 2016. We hope that the discussion around Christine’s case will encourage DuPage County officials to adopt permanent policies to allow any person with the disability of opioid use disorder to receive life-saving addiction treatment medication. This will save lives in Illinois.”
