The seal of the 22nd Circuit Court.
McHenry County States Attorney’s Office, McHenry County Sheriff, and McHenry County Specialty Courts partner in offering Recovery Support Meetings
(Woodstock, IL) Recently a collaboration involving the McHenry County States Attorney’s Office, McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, and the McHenry County Specialty Courts of the 22nd Judicial Circuit was designed to provide recovery support meetings for the McHenry County Jail population. “Providing substance abuse services to jail inmates, the vast majority of who will rejoin society in the foreseeable future, is a simple way to reduce recidivism by providing inmates with an understanding of sobriety principles they can apply on the outside when working to reclaim their lives,” said McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally.
The program is designed to provide a step in the direction of aiding a client toward recovery from their addiction. The support meetings utilize Narcotics Anonymous and are chaired by several McHenry County Drug Court graduates and Specialty Court staff. The program provides weekly meetings for the male and female inmates of McHenry County Jail.
According to the American Public Health Association, sixty-five percent of the nation’s inmates meet certain medical criteria for substance abuse and addiction, but only eleven percent received treatment for their addictions. In an additional report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, clients who suffer from substance abuse disorder addiction and who have a history of substance abuse disorder and where under the influence of drugs or alcohol while committing their crimes, make up 85% of the prison population.
Jason Sterwerf, the Director of the Office of Special Projects for the Circuit Court said, “The program has been well received and it is exciting to work with other departments to create a helpful response for our clients engaging in recovery.”