Surry County highlights jail-based reentry services; board reestablishes recovery advisory council

At the Dec. 2, 2025, meeting of the Surry County Board of Commissioners, Jamie Edwards, director of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery (SCOSAR), presented results from the county's Surry Transition Project (STP), a jail-based reentry and treatment effort funded by a federal grant through Sept. 2026 with a possible one-year extension to Sept. 2027.

Edwards told commissioners the program has provided services both inside the detention center and for up to six months after release, with 252 individuals served on a duplicated-count basis (meaning some people received multiple types of services) and 861 instances of service recorded from the program's start in February through the June 30 reporting quarter. "We're really proud of that number," Edwards said of the 861 service contacts. She said the program has offered 23 weeks of uninterrupted services and about 76 groups or classes during that time.

The presentation said STP provides substance-use screenings and assessments in custody, case management pre- and post-release, workforce-development training (including NC Department of Transportation flagger certification), ServSafe training, GED instruction, transportation and housing assistance, and connections to the county's EMS post-overdose response team and health and nutrition services. Edwards said the program's goals are public safety and reduced recidivism, promotion of recovery and citizenship, and helping participants achieve self-sufficiency.

Edwards gave a demographic snapshot for substance-use services through June 30: 39 unique individuals touched by those services; 27 male and 12 female. She said nearly half of the clients were in the 30-39 age range and that screening-based recidivism risk scores showed high needs: "the male average score, 80 percent," and the female rate higher in her sample. As of June 30 the program reported seven male graduates and no female graduates (Edwards said female groups started later), and in job-training activity the presentation said 114 people had been served across three job-training offerings. In a DOT flagger class of 44, 42 participants earned certification.

On staffing and funding, Edwards said the federal grant currently funds two positions; one was filled about six weeks before the meeting. She and county staff said the program also leverages opioid-settlement and other settlement funds to support employment and educational coordination, and emphasized that if federal funding ends the county could consider using settlement funds but would need to prioritize among competing needs.

After the presentation, the board voted to reestablish the SCOSAR advisory council, a panel Edwards said had been dormant since 2022. "My goal is to conduct a community needs assessment to present new recommendations to this board every four years," Edwards said. A motion to reestablish the substance abuse recovery program advisory council was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the motion carried.

The board heard praise for the program during discussion and thanked detention staff, the sheriff's office, the community college, and partnering county departments for their roles in the project.

Looking ahead, Edwards said STP provides reentry support for up to six months post-release, and that the program intends to continue integrating substance-use, criminal-justice, and employment services as a combined strategy to reduce recidivism. She and county staff said the board will see further recommendations as more outcome data accumulates.

The board recorded the formal vote to reestablish the advisory council during the meeting.