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$400,000 in State Money Secured to Expand Erie County's Jail-Based Drug Treatment Program

State Senator Chris Jacobs has helped to secure $400,000 in state funding which will be used to boost Erie County's existing jail-based substance abuse treatment program.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — State Senator Chris Jacobs has helped to secure $400,000 in state funding which will be used to boost Erie County's existing jail-based substance abuse treatment program.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office Assistance Addiction Program was started in August 2017. The idea is to give inmates who are battling addiction the help they need while they are incarcerated and then help them with addiction services once they're released.

Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard and Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health Michael Ranney both agree that the program is a way to help break people of their addiction earlier and then hopefully lower recidivism rates.

The sheriff said other jails that have similar programs have seen the number of repeat offenders drop by almost a third.

The program is voluntary and includes things like counseling and Vivitrol injections, which can help prevent drug addiction relapses.

To date, the program has helped about 1,000 jailed individuals who suffer from addiction. Sixteen people fully completed the program, including post-release treatment. The sheriff said three of those 16 individuals were arrested again but were still sober and picked up for non drug-related offenses.

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