In October of 2020, the Department of Justices’ Bureau of Justice Assistance announced the Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant Substance Abuse Program grant award to Wayne County of $900,000 for a three year period for The Wayne County Detention Center Substance Misuse Program.

“This program will be a benefit to our county in that it will reduce the recidivism rate for individuals dealing with drug and alcohol addiction,” said Sheriff Larry Pierce. “Detention centers across the nation are dealing with the same individuals day in and day out due to the fact that there are no standardized treatment programs to deal with drug addiction and mental health issues within a jail setting. Major Thaxton, our jail administrator, and I have been working on and revising this program over the past two years. Now that we have received this grant, we can move forward with what I believe will be a very proactive approach to deal with some of the problems that our community is experiencing.”

The Wayne County Detention Center Substance Misuse Program unifies a collaborative approach between the Wayne County Detention Center, Southern Health Partners, One to One with Youth, Inc., Day Reporting Center, Wayne County Health Department, and the Coalition for Addiction and Life Management (CALM). Now, booked inmates, identified with a substance misuse disorder, may voluntarily participate with the program for access to a Peer Support Specialist, Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Medicated Assisted Therapy treatment, and Naloxone kits.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is proud to offer this unprecedented initiative for Wayne County.