ASHLAND — Money from two state agencies — a total of nearly $140,000 — is on its way to the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office for addiction treatment and body-worn camera program.
The larger of the two grants will come from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The $114,788 will pay for an addiction-services coordinator at the jail and any related medications and supplies needed for the new position.
The Ashland County Jail already employs four nurses. This new position will add to that team, but will have different tasks, said Sheriff Kurt Schneider.
Substance abuse continues to be a leading cause of death among Ohio jail inmates. A USA Today investigation found there have been 70 such deaths in jails across Ohio since 2020.
AG Dave Yost’s office will use opioid settlement money, $60 million over three years, to reduce fatal overdoses in jails.
Ashland County was one of eight sheriff offices receiving these grants. This first round totaled $1.2 million.
“This position will help us wean them off of drugs or from overdosing in the jail,” Schneider said.
The money, which is only guaranteed for one year, will help purchase hydration equipment, office supplies, drugs and contribute toward pay for transportation from the jail to hospitals.
Schneider said the jail will start urine screening for all incoming inmates.
“The idea is to have this person do all the addiction services,” he said.
The other chunk of money — $25,100 — is coming from the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice.
The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office has an existing body camera program. Some of the money will go toward additional cameras and charging stations.
Some of the money, around $10,000, will go toward reimbursing the Ashland County commissioners.
Commissioners on Thursday approved a five-year contract with SecuraMax for cloud storage. The software will increase storage for additional footage produced by dash and body-worn cameras.
Schneider said it makes more sense to invest in a five-year contract for cloud storage rather than purchasing a new server. The contract comes at an annual $19,896 price tag.
“That’s where all this tech is heading,” he said. “Plus, cloud storage is more secure.”