Ohio jails receive grants to treat inmate addiction

OHIO, USA — Four northwest Ohio jails were among 13 in the state to be awarded grants aimed at combating inmate addiction, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office said in a press release. 

According to the press release, substance abuse is the leading cause of death for incarcerated persons in Ohio. At least 70 people have died in jails since 2020, Yost’s office said. The goal of the grants is to reduce fatal overdoses in Ohio’s jails. 

“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 said in a press release. “Although a jail is no substitute for a rehab center, these grants will aid recovery and support better outcomes for inmates struggling with substance abuse.”

Yost’s office said the Opioid Remediation Grant Program offers up to $200,000 to hire a full-time addiction services coordinator, or to contract with a company that provides opioid and other addiction treatment services. Counties can also apply for funding for medication to help incarcerated persons through withdrawal.

This round of grants, which total more than $2 million across the state, include four northwest Ohio jails. 

• Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas and Williams counties): $162,021
• Ottawa County jail: $76,690
• Sandusky County jail: $172,291

In the press release, Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick said he estimates 75% of people incarcerated in his jail struggle with addiction or mental illness. 

“Most inmates in county jails are not hardened criminals – they’re people who will soon return to our communities,” Levorchick said in the release. “The better we treat them while they’re incarcerated, the better our communities will be when they are released. Local funding for these services is limited, so it’s only through our partnership with the Attorney General’s Office that we can help inmates manage addiction and, hopefully, better their lives as a result.”