Crow Wing County approves $50,000 from opioid-settlement pool to fund jail SUBLOCADE injections, OKs new prevention grants

The Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners on March 25 approved a Blade Opioid Coalition funding request, including a $50,000 allocation the county jail will use to provide SUBLOCADE injections for people with opioid use disorder and to support a new round of prevention, treatment and recovery grants.

The funding request passed on a 5-0 roll-call vote after presentations from coalition members and jail medical staff explaining how the money would be used. Commissioner Lubcke made the motion to approve; Commissioner Barrows seconded. Commissioners Lee, Coring and Franzen voted aye.

The request included two parts: a proposal from the Blade Coalition to run another round of community grants for prevention, intervention and recovery programming, and a $50,000 request to the coalition to pay for SUBLOCADE injections administered inside the jail. Ron Ingram of the Crow Wing County Jail described an offer from Indivior, the SUBLOCADE manufacturer, that if the jail administers the first dose in custody, Indivior will cover the next two community doses. Ingram told the board, “if they can administer the first dose first dose of SUBLOCADE inside the jail, they will make sure that the next 2 doses are covered.”

Jail medical staff and partners said an extended-release injectable buprenorphine product like SUBLOCADE can reduce the risk of overdose after release because it occupies opioid receptors and reduces cravings. Jessica Schwartz, a registered nurse and certified addictions nurse with Essentia Health, said, “medication for opioid use disorder is considered the gold standard in care,” and described practical barriers patients face when released, including lapses in insurance and difficulty getting prescriptions immediately.

Officials gave additional details during the discussion: county jail records show 99 inmates were taking Subutex (sublingual buprenorphine) between Jan. 1, 2024 and March 21, 2025; county spending on Subutex in that period was $6,967.57. The jail estimated SUBLOCADE doses will cost roughly $1,500 to $2,100 per dose depending on procurement; board members were told the jail would try to limit in-custody SUBLOCADE administrations to doses timed near release so the Indivior assistance can continue the course in the community.

Supporters framed the request as harm reduction that complements prevention programming. Richard Guentner, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and member of the Blade Coalition, emphasized community-based recovery supports and asked the board to allow a new round of grants and to move quickly so recipients could engage schools this academic year. "We have the capacity to amplify the impact already started by Blade," he said, noting plans to issue an RFP by July.

Some commissioners expressed caution about using settlement dollars for what they described as medical care. Commissioner Barrows said he would vote for the request but questioned whether providing an expensive injectable medication in jail matched his view of the fund’s prevention intent: "I don't think this fits what the intent was for the opioid dollars...this almost looks like healthcare to me," he said. County staff and coalition members responded that state guidance requires the majority of settlement funds be used for treatment, harm reduction and prevention and that in-jail SUBLOCADE represents harm-reduction spending and a means to prevent post-release overdose.

The board approved the Blade Opioid Coalition funding request and the $50,000 allocation by roll call. Commissioners voted unanimously to pass the measure.

The county indicated the Blade Coalition grant round would continue to fund prevention programming in schools and community settings alongside the jail medication request. The jail said it would develop protocols with its medical staff to prioritize doses near release and to limit in-custody doses because of cost.

Why this matters: Jail release is a documented high-risk period for overdose, and county and coalition presenters argued a combination of medication, housing and peer supports can reduce that risk. The approved funding pair supports both immediate clinical harm reduction in custody and continued prevention and recovery activities in the community.

Sources and next steps: The board approved the motion on March 25. Staff said they expect an RFP for the community grant round by July and will implement the SUBLOCADE program through jail medical services and contracted specialty pharmacies where required.