Between 2016 and 2023, over 9,000 Wisconsinites died as a result of an opioid overdose, according to the state Department of Health Services. Though the number of annual opioid deaths has since fallen substantially in the state and around the country, as the chart below shows, this remains one of Wisconsin’s most serious challenges. According to the latest estimate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wisconsin saw 568 opioid overdose deaths during the 12-month period ending in September 2025. If this estimate is not revised upwards, it would represent the fewest opioid deaths recorded in the state since the 12-month period ending in February 2016. However, opioid-related deaths are still comparable to traffic deaths in Wisconsin. According to the state Department of Transportation, Wisconsin recorded 559 traffic deaths during the 12-month period ending in August 2025.
One major contributor towards these preventable fatalities has been people who overdose after being released from jail or prison. People who are incarcerated without access to opioids – especially for a prolonged period – often experience a decrease in tolerance, leaving them at greater risk of an overdose after being released if they resume opioid use at a similar level as before their incarceration. Individuals who are detained without access to opioids or to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) may also experience opioid withdrawal syndrome, a painful and potentially life-threatening condition. Researchers have found that providing MOUD to people in prisons and jails lowers the recipients’ risk of experiencing an overdose after release, as well as their risk of death from any cause or of reincarceration. However, access to MOUD has often been limited or absent for those held in state jails and prisons.
In this report, we detail and analyze the current availability of MOUD in Wisconsin jails and prisons, as reported by state Department of Corrections officials as well as county sheriffs and jail administrators, and compare it to the availability of MOUD when the last statewide study was performed in 2021. We also examine the circumstances under which people in jails or prisons can receive MOUD, and identify gaps that still exist in the availability of MOUD across the state.