Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider said the $114,788 grant provided by Attorney General Dave Yost will help inmates not only when they’re in jail but also when they get out.
As bad as the problem of drug abuse and addiction is among the general population, its effects are even more concentrated in the nation’s jails.
Because Ohio is in the same predicament, Attorney General Dave Yost has made $20 million in Opioid Remediation Grants available annually for up to three years — $60 million in all — to help counties prioritize addiction treatment in jails, reduce the number of fatal overdoses, and break the debilitating and often-fatal cycle of addiction and incarceration.
Through the first quarter of 2025, proposals from sheriff’s offices in eight counties — Ashland, Erie, Medina, Richland, Summit, Trumbull, Washington and Wyandot — have been approved for funding, with grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.
“What’s going on inside our jails reflects what’s going on outside them,” Yost said. “We have a moral obligation to help those affected by the opioid crisis, no matter where they are.”
Since 2020, at least 70 deaths in Ohio jails have been attributed to overdoses, according to a recent USA Today report. In fact, drugs account for 30 percent of deaths in Ohio jails, about the same percentage as natural causes and suicides, the three leading causes.
Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree said Ohio’s jails have become de facto mental-health hospitals and drug-treatment facilities. At her jail, which can house 791 inmates, roughly three-fourths of the population have substance-abuse disorders, she said.
“If we don't start doing something, it's just going to continue,” she said. “The same people are going to keep coming to the jail.”
Fatheree was among the first to apply for and receive an Opioid Remediation Grant — $187,000 to contract with VitalCore Health Strategies for an advanced-practice registered nurse to serve as the jail’s addiction-services coordinator.
As part of a larger plan to provide evidence-based care above the minimum jail standards, Fatheree will designate an entire unit solely for inmates needing medical, mental-health, detox and other specialized care.
“So many inmates are being booked and face the immediate prospect of detox and withdrawal, which can be a dangerous time not only for them but for my deputies,” she said. “These individuals need care from a professional who specializes in these issues.”
Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider, whose office was awarded $114,788, echoed Fatheree’s concern, adding that the grant will help inmates not only when they’re in jail but also when they get out.
“All too often, our inmates are left standing at the exit doors wondering how, where and when they will continue getting help, and now we can assist them by coordinating a plan prior to their release from jail,” he said.
Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said his office will use its $177,516 grant to contract with Bayshore Counseling Services to provide additional treatment services. “Inmates who are able to overcome their addiction issues with the assistance of treatment services funded by this grant will — hopefully — not commit future criminal offenses,” he said.
In the case of Summit County, the addiction-services coordinator hired through the AGO grant will ensure that inmates are not only screened and assessed but also receive, if needed, medication-assisted treatment — a combination of drugs and therapy to reduce cravings. Until now, the jail typically used MAT only to detox pregnant women.
The coordinator also will ensure that individuals seeking medication-assisted treatment are identified for referral to special-docket treatment courts. And when an inmate with a drug history is released, the coordinator will collaborate with community providers to ensure continuing care.
“Many of these individuals have the desire and the inner strength that it takes to stay sober,” Fatheree said. “But they need that initial helping hand to pull them up.”
How to apply for a grant
Opioid Remediation Grants are funded with money from opioid settlements negotiated by the Attorney General’s Office.
County jails can apply for grants of $150,000 to $200,000 for calendar year 2025 to hire a full-time addiction-services coordinator or a contractor providing similar services. Grant amounts are based on county population. (These grants cannot be used to replace existing spending on addiction services for inmates.)
In addition, any county that operates a jail can apply for a $50,000 grant to help pay for medications and supplies for inmates experiencing opioid withdrawal.
This year’s application window runs through Dec. 1. Grant payments will be disbursed quarterly, with the next round in June. Sheriffs can request an application by emailing JailGrants@OhioAGO.gov.