Chester County Prison Board accepts $149,420 PCCD grant to expand jail medication-assisted treatment

The Chester County Prison Board on Wednesday voted to accept a $149,420 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to expand the jail's medication-assisted treatment program.

Board President John Maxwell presented the award, saying the funding "is for the Chester County Prison MAT program to sustain enhanced medication program for eligible incarcerated individuals and provides coordinated aftercare planning, support, continuity of care, reduce recidivism, and decrease the overall death rate in the county." The grant term reported to the board runs from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028.

The board moved and approved acceptance of the grant by voice vote. No individual vote tallies or named movers and seconders were recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: Board members said the funding is intended to sustain treatment inside the facility and support continuity of care after release — aims the presenter tied to reducing recidivism and overdose-related deaths among people leaving custody. The transcript records the board approving the grant during the regular meeting; staff said implementation and aftercare planning will be coordinated with the jail's existing programs.

Details the board recorded: The grant was described as supporting an "enhanced medication program," including coordinated aftercare planning and support. The transcript does not identify the individual who will serve as the program's project manager or list specific subcontractors; those implementation details were not provided in the meeting record.

Next steps: The board approved the grant acceptance and adjourned; staff indicated they would provide follow-up materials (for example, the concrete bid documents and other project paperwork) at a later date, but the transcript does not specify a reporting deadline for the MAT program implementation.