(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — A second round of grants totaling $2.3 million is headed to jails across the state to help sheriffs prioritize addiction treatment for inmates, Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
This batch of grants, awarded to 13 jails serving a combined 18 counties, expands the program’s reach to 26 counties statewide. With the latest payments, the total amount awarded since Yost announced the grants in March stands at more than $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 said. “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.”
In all, Yost’s office is offering $60 million in opioid settlement money over the next several years, with the goal of reducing fatal overdoses in Ohio’s jails. Substance abuse is a leading cause of death among jail inmates in Ohio, accounting for at least 70 deaths since 2020, according to a recent USA Today report.
The attorney general’s Opioid Remediation Grant Program is awarding county jails up to $200,000 per year to hire a full-time addiction-services coordinator or contract with a company that provides such services to treat opioid and other addictions, helping inmates through detox and recovery. Additionally, any county that operates a jail can apply for a $50,000 grant to fund medications and supplies for inmates experiencing opioid withdrawal.
The recipients of this round of grants are:
- Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas and Williams counties): $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 (Marion and Hardin counties): $152,960
- Ottawa County jail: $76,690
- Sandusky County jail: $172,291
- Seneca County jail: $116,103
- Shelby County jail: $155,940
In Ottawa County, Sheriff Stephen Levorchick estimates that 75% of inmates at his jail struggle with addiction or mental illness. He credited the grant for helping the jail implement medication-assisted treatment and for enabling the jail’s mental-health coordinator to work full-time.
“Most inmates in county jails are not hardened criminals – they’re people who will soon return to our communities,” Levorchick said. “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.”
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene echoed Levorchick’s comments, explaining that his jail will use its grant to contract with VitalCore Health Strategies for comprehensive behavioral health treatment services.
“Incarceration shouldn’t be a stumbling block in a person’s path to recovery from addiction,” Greene said. “This grant will help us offer a steppingstone for inmates to improve their lives and lessen their suffering from drug and alcohol disorders.”
At the Monroe County jail, Sheriff Derek Norman plans to launch the Monroe County Recovery Program with grant funding. The initiative will identify inmates who suffer from substance abuse at the booking stage and provide them with recovery services during their incarceration and up to 60 days after their release.
“This grant will fund a plan designed to address our specific, local needs – including follow-up treatment after an individual is released from incarceration,” Norman said. “These funds are appreciated, and I am excited to see their results and impact.”
The application window for 2025 grant funding runs through Dec. 1. An application form is available
here.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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