Chester County Prison board approves $199,766 PCCD grant for medication-assisted treatment services

The Chester County Prison Board of Inspectors voted Oct. 22 to approve a grant application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for $199,766 to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services and medications at the prison for the period Jan. 2026 through Sept. 2027.

Board members discussed how the grant would interact with existing opioid settlement funds currently covering the MAT program. A Warden’s staff member said the grant “would, more or less offset some of those funds,” which could allow opioid settlement money to be reallocated to other approved projects. The Warden cautioned that MAT program costs are rising and that future program costs could increase by an additional roughly $200,000 over the next one to two years, requiring continued monitoring.

The application was moved and seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tally. The board did not specify further program design details in the public portion of the meeting; officials said discussion focused on funding interaction and program continuity, not on substantive changes to clinical protocols.

The board also referenced ongoing efforts to use opioid settlement funding for various county programs, and attendees noted that reallocation of opioid trust money requires a separate approval process and specific project authorization.

The motion to approve the PCCD grant application passed by voice vote. No adverse votes or abstentions were recorded in the meeting transcript.