GREENWOOD, Ind. -- A Greenwood judge hopes that new technology will not only help heroin abusers get clean but help them find their way back into society.
Greenwood Drug Recovery Court is the first court program to use the device called "Bridge."
Addicts can place the device, which is about the size of a half dollar, behind their ear. It helps them make it through heroin withdrawal in five days by blocking the pain of the detox.
Under the program, people on probation who are drug users must go to their probation officers and tell them they want help. They have to do this before they fail a random drug test.
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Those who ask for help will go through a three-step program that starts with using the Bridge device. Once they prove that they have successfully stopped using heroin, they’ll be put on Vivitrol for about a month. The drug blocks the brain's ability to get high off of heroin, so even if a person uses it, they won't feel the effects. They’ll also receive counseling and other support services to aid them in their recovery.
If a person completes the program, their drug convictions could be erased from their record.
The catch? The Bridge device costs $495 and installation is an additional $250. Right now, it's not covered by insurance.
The court received a $7,000 grant from Drug-Free Johnson County for a pilot program, but they hope that once it proves successful, more funding will follow.
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