Region hit hard by opioids embraces jail-based treatment

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Officials in western Massachusetts are embracing a controversial tactic amid a dramatic spike in fatal overdoses: sending men to jail for court-ordered addiction treatment.
Hampden County Sheriff Thomas Cocchi has designated a jail wing for the treatment of men civilly committed for substance abuse reasons.
Cocchi and his supporters say the year-old program, which is the only one of its kind in western Massachusetts, is key to curbing the county’s opioid pro