Liquid Handcuffs

Helen Redmond's Liquid Handcuffs exposes the punitive, carceral culture of methadone clinics in the United States and traces their origins to 1970s policy and the War on Drugs.

Drawing on ethnographic observation, interviews with patients and clinic workers, and policy history, she documents daily surveillance practices like witnessed dosing, urine checks, restricted take-homes, and the influence of the DEA and private equity.

Redmond argues these practices create barriers, stigma, and harm, and she critiques patient advocacy groups that align with clinic interests.

She proposes abolition of the clinic model in favor of prescription parity—allowing providers to prescribe methadone through pharmacies—plus harm-reduction measures such as safe supply and peer support.

The book is both an exposé and a policy argument for integrating methadone treatment into mainstream healthcare to restore dignity and save lives.