Adams County advisory committee recommends opioid‑settlement grants and initial funding for reentry program

An advisory committee that screens opioid‑settlement applications recommended that Adams County use restricted settlement funds for several programs and forwarded those recommendations to the council. The committee proposed allocating up to $100,000–$125,000 from settlement money to help fund the initial phase of a reentry program (referred to in the meeting as IRACS or Hyrax), which the sheriff’s office and local courts plan to operate. The committee also recommended $5,000 for Crossroads Community Recovery Housing to assist recently incarcerated people with rent as they secure employment; $10,142.46 for Adams Memorial Behavioral Health to expand access to substance‑use and mental‑health treatment for uninsured residents; and $21,762.50 to North Adams Community Schools to start and train an officer for a D.A.R.E.‑style prevention program.