Ohio sheriff wants $1.5M heroin detox center for female inmates

CINCINNATI (AP) — A $1.5 million heroin detox center at a county jail would treat up to 1,000 addicted female inmates while they are incarcerated, said a county sheriff, and he wants to work on opening one.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the goal of Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil’s plan is to provide more attention and better care to addicts, thus reducing the number of inmates passing through the jail for heroin-related offenses.

“We are sometimes the first step to recovery for addicts,” said Major Charmaine McGuffey, who runs the jail. “When they are in recovery, we want to be as responsible as we can be. We want to keep people from coming back.”

Officials said more than 9,000 of the 20,000 inmates locked up last year at the Hamilton County Justice Center were heroin addicts.

The 18-bed, 1,500-square-foot facility would serve only women, as both men and women inmates cannot be housed together.

McGuffey said Neil hopes to eventually add more space for male prisoners.

The proposed detox center would provide addicted inmates with peer counseling, nursing care, treatment programs and other services not currently available.