Erie County gets grant for addiction treatment

PERKINS TWP. — A local county secured a slice from the $1.2 million state pie made available to help eight Ohio-based sheriffs prioritize addiction treatment for jail inmates. This would include Erie County and its sheriff, Paul Sigsworth, locking down about $177,500. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he committed $60 million, coming from opioid settlement money, over the next several years eventually going to public institutions. The goal? Reduce fatal overdoses in Ohio's jails. Substance abuse is a leading cause of death among jail inmates in Ohio, accounting for at least 70 fatalities since 2020, according to a recent USA Today report. "The opioid crisis thrust county jails into the role of de facto addiction treatment facilities, placing an unfunded burden on Ohio's sheriffs," Yost said. "These grants will provide relief to our jails as they manage the added responsibility of treating substance abuse. I'm grateful to every sheriff and deputy in Ohio, as they have adapted admirably to the evolving challenges of drug addiction." Counties receiving money can spend these funds to hire a full-time addiction services coordinator or a contractor providing similar services for treating addictions. This aims to help inmates through the detox and recovery processes. Sigsworth underscored how tackling addiction behind bars is key to reducing crime. He intends to spend his share in collaboration with Bayshore Counseling Services in Sandusky to provide additional addiction treatment services for inmates at the Erie County Jail in Perkins Township. "Many of those who are incarcerated have substance abuse issues," Sigsworth said. "Those 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."