Middlesex Jail vending machine dispenses 205 overdose-reversal kits in first year

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office reports that a naloxone vending machine at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction has been accessed 205 times in its first year, a milestone officials say reflects growing community use of the overdose-reversal medication.​

Installed in December 2024, the machine at the jail’s Visitor Center provides free naloxone kits, each containing two doses of the opioid overdose-reversal drug, to visitors and staff. The MSO has equipped staff with naloxone for on-duty emergencies since 2016, part of a broader public health approach to substance use in the facility.​

“Each of the 205 kits shared with our community represents a potential life saved,” Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian said in a statement. “The continued use of the naloxone vending machine shows we are removing unnecessary barriers to this critical resource.”

More than 40% of people incarcerated at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction have a diagnosed substance use disorder, according to the sheriff’s office. The naloxone vending machine extends the MSO’s Medication Assisted Treatment And Directed Opioid Recovery program, as well as the Families in Treatment program, both of which focus on treatment, recovery and support for individuals with addiction and their families.​

Kits can be obtained anonymously, and the machine displays graphics that instruct users on how to administer naloxone in the event of a suspected overdose. Users may also complete a brief voluntary survey on age, race and ZIP code to help the MSO shape future treatment, prevention and outreach efforts.​