TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - The Lucas County jail is working with inmates addicted to drugs to prevent them from landing back in jail from drug-related crimes.
Treatment Re-entry Awareness Community has operating for nearly one month, but has already changed lives.
According to Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp, approximately 90 percent of inmates serving time in the Lucas County jail come in addicted to drugs. The heroin epidemic in the area has only magnified the issue and increased the amount of repeat offenders serving time for drug-related crimes.
TRAC is helping addicts create a new way of living through rehabilitation so they can break the cycle that would land them back in jail after they have served their sentence.
"We feel that this is something we can do and it's an additional step in the right direction to fight the heroin epidemic," Tharp said.
Marc O'Neil, a counselor at the jail, said this is a great time to rehabilitate and change for the better.
"When people are in jail, they are done using heroin at that time - their mind is starting to clear," he said. "We get them at that moment of clarity."
The program serves up to 48 male inmates at a time and doesn't cost tax payers any money.
Area treatment programs volunteer to help addicts and assist them, even after they're released.
Sheriff Tharp said it's too soon to measure exactly how effective TRAC is, but he said he's already seeing fewer repeat drug offenders enter the system.
At this time, the program is only offered to male inmates, but officials are working to extend it to female inmates as well.
