Hennepin Co. Sheriff hopes to decrease overdoses by reaching abusers while incarcerated
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is hoping to reach possible opioid abusers inside its jails and prisons to help reduce overdoses outside of them.
Sheriff Dave Hutchinson announced his office’s participation in the Survival Through Overdose Prevention program, or STOP, Thursday in an effort to curb recent spikes in overdoses countywide.
“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to stopping the spread of opioid use and curbing this epidemic," said Hennepin County Sheriff David P. Hutchinson. "We have a real opportunity to address this problem during incarceration. We want to help and treat people at the jail, so they leave with a clear mind and with tools to help them continue their recovery.”
According to the release, STOP seeks to treat those with opioid use disorder inside jails and uses tools to prevent future fatal overdoses.
The Sheriff’s Office says that 30 percent of opioid-related deaths occur within one year of release from a state, county or local correctional facility. In Hennepin County, 55 percent of overdose deaths occurred in the first 90 days of release.