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Substance use recovery program starting at jail

Posted April 12, 2017 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Editor@heraldtrib.com

With local law enforcement battling what State's Attorney Jeremy Walker has called an "epidemic" of methamphetamine, the Randolph County Sheriff's Office has partnered with the Human Service Center to tackle the problem in a different way.

Starting next week, the HSC will be offering a substance use program to Randolph County Jail inmates that is designed to reduce recidivism and promote recovery. The program is focusing on inmates who will be released within three to six months and not those who have been sentenced to prison.

"Over half the inmates in the jail are in directly for possession of a controlled substance and drug-related crimes," said Sheriff Shannon Wolff.

The other 45 percent of inmates, according to Wolff, are in the jail for crimes connected to drugs such as burglary or theft.

"Almost 95 percent of inmates in the jail are there for crimes related to drugs or crimes against property," he said.

For its part, the HSC will provide up to 15 hours of treatment services for inmates for mostly substance-related crimes, according to Executive Director Shea Haury.

"We will come into the jail at a time when individuals are more vulnerable and connect them with a counselor," Haury said.

The counselor, who is already in a full-time position at the HSC, will provide individual treatment of the inmates at no cost to the county. Funds for the program are being provided through the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, which is part of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

But, Haury acknowledged the state's budget impasse has had an impact on the HSC.

"Yes, they are way behind in paying us," she said. "But that doesn't stop us from providing the services."

Haury noted that the HSC is "moving things around" to free up time for the program by offering more group services at the HSC.

"The drug epidemic is really all our responsibility to stop it," she said. "It's a community problem."

"This isn't going to be solved solely by law enforcement," Wolff said. "There has to be treatment involved.

"Simply locking them up will not fix the problem."

Haury said inmate participation in the program is voluntary, unless a judge or state's attorney mandates it as part of the sentence.

"It can benefit the inmates to participate in this," Wolff said.

In an interview with the Herald Tribune, Walker said he supports the program.

"I commend the sheriff and the Human Service Center for working on something like this to help people," he said. "Our No. 1 goal is supposed to be reforming or rehabilitating. Sometimes we have to punish, but the No. 1 goal, from the Constitution, is restoring the offender to useful citizenship."

Walker said that, currently, people sentenced to drug or alcohol treatment are sent to either The Fellowship House in Anna or the Gateway Foundation.

"Most of our offenders go to Gateway either in Caseyville or Carbondale, depending on age," he said. "Carbondale is more geared toward younger people. The predominant number of people we see go to Gateway for in-patient counseling.

"Out-patient they can go to services through the Human Service Center."

Walker added that offenders who are sentenced to probation would be able to get a head start on their treatment through the new program.

"If they start learning these new life skills before the case is resolved, that can't do anything but help," he said.

Circuit Court Judge Richard A. Brown also gave his opinion of the program.

"I think that's very wonderful and needed," he said. "It will give us the opportunity to begin substance abuse counseling for persons who are incarcerated in the county jail at a time we know they are not continuing to abuse.

"They can get counseling while they're sober and hopefully, we'll be more successful in changing their lifestyle."

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