HOULTON, Maine — In an effort to cut down on repeat visits by inmates of the Aroostook County Jail, a number of programs have been put into place over the years to assist individuals both inside the walls of the jail and also once they leave.
“The mission of the Sheriff’s Office is to reduce crime and keep people safe,” said Capt. Craig Clossey, jail administrator. “In that vein, we have a lot of people in jail with identifiable substance or mental health issues that contribute to them coming back over and over again.”
Clossey said while an individual is in custody, officials have the perfect opportunity to offer assistance.
“We provide inmates an opportunity to be sober,” Clossey said. “This is a closed environment. It’s easy for them to remain sober when in this facility. Hopefully that means they will be more clear-minded so we want to provide them with some tools to help them along.”
For his efforts, Clossey was presented with a certificate of achievement on Nov. 20 by Peter McCorison, program director of the Aroostook Mental Health Center, for his efforts in getting inmates the help they need.
“Capt. Clossey’s support of programs for inmates in the Aroostook County Jail has been wonderful, particularly in the area of mental health and substance abuse services,” McCorison said.
In the past, Clossey also reached out to AMHC to create new programs for inmates.
“His motivation is two-fold,” McCorison said. “First is the health and safety of the individuals detained here, as well as the staff. And secondly, he is looking to decrease recidivism. To change the flow of folks in and out. He has been a real advocate for the mental health of the inmates and also for trying to find ways to save Aroostook County money.”
The jail recently received a $24,000 residential substance abuse treatment program grant to provide additional substance abuse services in the jail. That grant will help with inmates who are released to see that they get care coordination on a weekly basis for 90 days. That help will focus on housing needs, employment opportunities and substance abuse.
“We are really trying to find a bridge from the time inmates are incarcerated to when they go back out in the public,” Clossey said. “We want them to make healthy choices to move forward in their lives.”
“The window is as soon as they walk out the door,” McCorison added. “We need to make sure we engage them, so that first choices they make keep them going in the right direction.”
