Buckeye Reporter

A second series of grants, amounting to $2.3 million, has been allocated to jails across Ohio to assist sheriffs in prioritizing addiction treatment for inmates, as announced by Attorney General Dave Yost. This funding extends the program's coverage to 26 counties statewide.

Since March, the total funds awarded have exceeded $3.5 million. "Each time I tour a jail with a sheriff who has received a grant, I am encouraged to hear how this funding is going to make a real difference in the fight against addiction," Yost stated. He emphasized that while jails are not substitutes for rehabilitation centers, these grants will support recovery and better outcomes for inmates facing substance abuse challenges.

Yost’s office plans to distribute $60 million from opioid settlements over several years with the aim of reducing fatal overdoses in Ohio's jails. Substance abuse remains a significant cause of death among inmates, contributing to at least 70 deaths since 2020 according to USA Today.

The Opioid Remediation Grant Program offers county jails up to $200,000 annually for hiring addiction-services coordinators or contracting companies providing such services. Counties can also apply for $50,000 grants for medications and supplies aiding inmates through opioid withdrawal.

This round's recipients include:

- Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio: $162,021

- Darke County jail: $151,940

- Hamilton County jail: $249,850

- Jefferson County jail: $200,000

- Lorain County jail: $200,000

- Mahoning County jail: $200,000

- Miami County jail: $214,250

- Monroe County Correctional Facility: $200,000

- Multi-County Correctional Center: $152,960

- Ottawa County jail: $76,690

- Sandusky County jail: $172,291

- Seneca County jail: $116,103

- Shelby County jail: $155,940

Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick highlighted that approximately 75% of his inmates struggle with addiction or mental illness and praised the grant for enabling medication-assisted treatment and full-time mental-health coordination. "Most inmates in county jails are not hardened criminals – they’re people who will soon return to our communities," he noted.

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene shared similar sentiments about using their grant with VitalCore Health Strategies for behavioral health services. "Incarceration shouldn’t be a stumbling block in a person’s path to recovery from addiction," Greene said.

Monroe County Sheriff Derek Norman intends to use the funds for launching the Monroe County Recovery Program aimed at providing recovery services during incarceration and post-release follow-up treatment. "These funds are appreciated," Norman expressed.

Applications for 2025 funding remain open until December 1st.