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Carver County: jail MOUD program credited with fewer medical emergencies; board considers sustainability of opioid-settlement funding
Summary
County presenters described a jail-based medication-for-opioid-use-disorder (MOUD) program funded with opioid‑settlement dollars, reporting roughly 90 individuals inducted, fewer withdrawal-related medical emergencies, and improved staff safety; the program costs were cited as about $148,000 in year one and approximately $170,000 for 2026, and staff said they will return with sustainability options.
Carver County officials told the board on June 9 that a jail-based MOUD (medication for opioid use disorder) program launched in 2025 has been associated with reduced medical emergencies, improved facility operations and better reentry coordination for participants.
"We've engaged at least 90 individuals inducted to the MOUD program since its inception," a county presenter said, describing a decline in withdrawal‑related incidents. Sergeant Jewell was quoted saying staff "haven't had one incident" of certain severe withdrawal events since the MOUD program began. The presentation also cited national research: MOUD in jails can reduce fatal overdoses by roughly 60% and recidivism by about 15%.
Presenters outlined the program's four phases: continuation of community‑prescribed MOUD at intake, continuing MOUD despite screening anomalies if clinically appropriate, initiating MOUD using the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS) when indicated, and identifying newly recognized opioid-use disorders for treatment and reentry planning. The program includes warm handoffs, naloxone kits for release, medication supply and a reentry coordinator to connect people to community care.
Staff said initial program funding used opioid‑settlement dollars (about $148,000 in the first year) and that the county anticipates about $170,000 for 2026 to cover supplemental medical coverage, program direction, medications and testing supplies. Presenters emphasized that opioid-settlement funds are intended to seed programs and that staff will return to the board in 2027–28 with options for continuing the program if settlement funding diminishes.
Several commissioners praised the program as an upstream public‑safety investment and urged better measurement of outcomes such as reduced overdose and recidivism. County Attorney Mark Metz and other officials emphasized that the program can link directly to existing drug‑treatment and veterans courts and improve long‑term outcomes.
