Wayne County officials say jail-based COSAP program reduced recidivism and expanded housing and treatment supports
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Summary
Sheriff Larry Pierce and program staff reported results from a five-year federal COSAP grant: 457 unduplicated participants served, 80% retained 30 days, 4% overall recidivism and expanded medication-assisted treatment and transitional housing in Wayne County detention and reentry services.
Sheriff Larry Pierce and program staff told the Wayne County Board of Commissioners that a five-year federal grant supporting jail-based substance-use services produced measurable results for participants and the community.
Michelle Bass, who led the county—osap-related presentation, said the county received a Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program (COSAP) award in October 2020 and ultimately fielded $900,000 across the grant period. Bass said the program emphasized peer-support specialists, medication-assisted treatment provided by the medical vendor in the jail, and transitional housing and reentry coordination.
"For the five years, we served 457 unduplicated individuals in our program," Bass said, adding that 80% of participants were retained at least 30 days and that the program recorded an overall 4% recidivism rate. She said 125 participants received MAT in jail, and 26% of those reached six months of sobriety; across all substances the program reached six-month sobriety for 20% of participants.
County commissioners pressed staff on whether services could continue after federal funds taper. Bass said the sheriff and staff would evaluate options, including budgeting some services locally; she noted the county has also leveraged partnerships, including a peer-provider contract with Dixon Social Interactive Services and a Wayne County Reentry Council now housed under Wayne Community College.
The presentation credited the COSAP grant with expanding access to transitional housing, establishing medication-assisted treatment inside the facility, and spawning cross-agency initiatives that the county said attracted attention at state and national conferences. "He wanted to see that [recidivism] reduced," Bass said of the sheriff's original aim; the board heard the program exceeded several of its initial targets.
Commissioners thanked the sheriff and program staff and discussed sustainability: Bass confirmed some opioid-related funding remains but that long-term continuation would be considered in budget planning. The board did not take formal action on the program during the meeting.