Pitt County receives grant to aid substance abuse disorder treatment

Pitt County, North Carolina — The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a $1.3 million federal grant to extend substance use disorder treatment to inmates in the Pitt County Detention Center.

The Sheriff’s Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (SHARP) and the Women’s Empowerment and Recovery Program (WEAR) are aimed at helping men and women reintegrate back into society.

According to people who work with the Pitt County Detention Center, without the SHARP and WEAR programs, many of these men and women who leave the detention center could end up right back.

According to Kiera Clemmons, a social worker with Pitt County Detention Center, “Six months of an individual reintegrating back into the community is the hardest time for them.”

Based on a study conducted with East Carolina University, the SHARP and WEAR programs have reduced the recidivism rate by at least 10 percent of the statewide average, which is roughly 40 percent.

The Programs Coordinator at Pitt County Detention Center, Jason Jackson said, “We do know that we are helping create more productive, more positive citizens when they leave here.”

Jackson and Clemmons said partnerships with colleges and businesses to provide job opportunities have made it possible for inmates to get back on their feet and function as they re-enter the community.

“When they come in and re-enter society, the hardest thing for a lot of people to do is get a job when they have charges, when they have pending charges, or if they’ve been convicted.” Jackson said, “We’re able to make sure we provide a warm hand off.”

For Clemmons, she said the SHARP and WEAR programs provide a second chance for those who want to do the right thing, but just needs a push in the right direction.

Clemmons continued,

We teach them different strategies, different techniques, so when they go back into the community, they feel like they’re welcome back into a place where individuals understand that, you know, everybody has a past.

Jackson and Clemmons believe S.H.A.R.P. and W.E.A.R. will help reduce the number of deaths by suicide in inmates and says they provide mental health training to their staff.