Mass. jail gets $2.1M in grants to help expand drug treatment

The grant will allow the jail to expand its medication-assisted treatment program so that former prisoners can receive continued treatment after release

By Julie Manganis
Gloucester Daily Times

MIDDLETON, Mass. — Two federal grants will help the Essex County Sheriff's Department assist those recently released from custody with continued medication-assisted treatment and other supports, the department has announced.

The largest grant, a $1.2 million award from the Department of Justice's Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program, will allow the jail to expand its medication-assisted treatment program so that former prisoners can receive continued treatment after they are released.

In Essex County, the $1.2 million will be used to provide services for 3,000 inmates both during their incarceration and after their release, including access to naloxone, a medication used to reverse opiate overdose, behavioral support, and transitional housing and peer supports.

Full story: Grants to help jail expand drug treatment