by Tuscarawas County Sheriff Walt Wilson

The Sheriff’s Office has partnered with our local Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board to tackle a serious issue that is plaguing our jail facility. Unfortunately, our jail is filled with individuals suffering from addiction and/or mental illness, and we are not equipped to handle these issues. Many of these individuals are repeat offenders.

In an attempt to deal with this problem, the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and our local ADAMHS Board met regularly over the past year to share information on medication costs, counseling services and intervention strategies for our inmates. As a result, it was determined that a re-entry program was needed along with a full-time position dedicated to improving communication and coordination between our criminal justice system, our offenders and our community-based outpatient providers such as Community Mental Healthcare and Personal and Family Counseling Services. Our local ADAMHS Board provided funding for the program and position, and Seana Todd Fortune was hired to fill the position last December. The Sheriff’s Office thanks our local ADAMHS Board for their continued support and partnership. This partnership allows us to address this complex issue with the proper resources, which will hopefully reduce recidivism in our jail.