Yost Awards Grants, Expands Jail Treatment, Targets Overdose Risk

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Attorney General Dave Yost has awarded a fourth round of Opioid Remediation Grant Program funding, directing $5.3 million in new grants to support addiction treatment for incarcerated Ohioans across 54 counties.

Yost Awards Addiction Treatment Grants to 30 Facilities

In the final quarter of 2025, Yost awards addiction treatment grants to 30 facilities statewide, including:

• 17 county jails, and
• 13 community-based correctional facilities (CBCFs) – residential diversion programs for nonviolent offenders, many of whom struggle with addiction.

This latest round expands the attorney general’s Opioid Remediation Grant Program to 49 jails serving 54 counties, plus the newly eligible CBCFs.

“These grants do more than prevent overdoses – they give inmates a fighting chance to break the cycle of substance abuse and incarceration,” Yost said in the release, crediting Ohio sheriffs and local leaders for “putting this money to good use across the state.”

With this fourth round, total awards since March now exceed $10.9 million, as part of a broader plan to distribute $60 million in opioid settlement funds over the next several years.

Program Aims to Cut Overdose Deaths Behind Bars

Overdose remains a deadly risk in correctional settings. A USA Today report cited by Yost’s office found that at least 70 Ohio jail inmates have died from overdoses since 2020.

To combat that, the Opioid Remediation Grant Program offers:

• Up to $200,000 per year for county jails and CBCFs to
  • Hire a full-time addiction-services coordinator, or
  • Contract with a provider to offer detox and recovery services for opioid and other substance use disorders.
• An additional $50,000 grant available to any county operating a jail, to pay for medications and supplies used when inmates experience opioid withdrawal.

State officials say the goal is not only to stabilize inmates during incarceration, but to support long-term recovery and reduce recidivism once individuals are released.

Northeast Ohio Facilities Among Grant Recipients

Several facilities in Northeast Ohio are receiving support in this latest round, underscoring the region’s ongoing struggle with opioid addiction and overdose:

• Cuyahoga County:

  • McDonnell Center (CBCF) – $134,240 to support addiction services in a community-based setting for nonviolent offenders.

• Summit County:

  • Summit County CBCF – $134,240 in funding to strengthen treatment and recovery programming for court-involved individuals from the Akron area and beyond.

• Portage County:

  • Portage County jail – $200,000 to bolster in-jail addiction treatment, including detox support and recovery services.

• Trumbull County:

  • Northeast Ohio Community Alternative Program (NEOCAP) – $145,390 to help expand structured residential treatment options for individuals dealing with substance use disorders.

• Columbiana and Jefferson counties (Eastern Ohio Correction Center):

  • While just outside the core of Greater Cleveland, the Eastern Ohio Correction Center, which serves Columbiana and Jefferson counties, will receive $199,881. This facility often intersects with courts and agencies that work closely with Northeast Ohio jurisdictions.

These investments connect directly to communities across Greater Cleveland, Akron, Portage, and the Mahoning Valley, where local leaders have spent years confronting high rates of opioid use and overdose.

Jails Receiving Grants in Latest Round

Seventeen jails across Ohio are sharing more than $3 million of the current $5.3 million allocation:

• Adams County jail – $200,000
• Clark County jail – $220,000
• Columbiana County jail – $250,000
• Fairfield County jail – $244,364
• Geauga County jail – $149,088
• Greene County jail – $220,000
• Hancock County jail – $90,022
• Harrison County jail – $107,000
• Jackson County jail – $200,000
• Knox County jail – $104,675
• Lawrence County jail – $250,000
• Licking County Justice Center – $200,000
• Logan County jail – $200,000
• Noble County jail – $200,000
• Portage County jail – $200,000
• Scioto County jail – $215,000
• Wood County jail – $200,000

Many of these jails serve regions that have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, and the funding is expected to strengthen detox services, recovery support, and reentry planning.

CBCFs Now Eligible and Funded Across Ohio

For the first time, community-based correctional facilities were eligible for this round of grants, and 13 CBCFs have been awarded funding:

• Community Correctional Center for Butler, Clermont and Warren Counties – $50,000
• CROSSWAEH CBCF (Seneca County) – $101,948
• Eastern Ohio Correction Center (Jefferson and Columbiana counties) – $199,881
• Franklin County CBCF – $246,227
• McDonnell Center (Cuyahoga County) – $134,240
• MonDay Community Correctional Institution (Montgomery County) – $151,375
• Northeast Ohio Community Alternative Program (Trumbull County) – $145,390
• Northwest Community Corrections Center (Wood County) – $121,394
• STAR Community Justice Center (Scioto County) – $250,000
• Stark Regional Community Correction Center – $72,349
• Summit County CBCF – $134,240
• West Central Community Correctional Facility (Union County) – $199,248
• The WORTH Center (Allen County) – $200,000

CBCFs focus on structured rehabilitation in a residential setting, making them a key part of the state’s strategy to address addiction as a driving factor in criminal behavior.

More Funding Expected in 2026

According to Yost’s office, an application for 2026 grants in the Opioid Remediation Grant Program will be available in January. The ongoing funding is part of a multi-year effort to channel opioid settlement money into treatment and recovery across Ohio’s criminal justice system.

As Yost awards addiction treatment grants in these latest rounds, state officials say they are working to ensure that local jails and correctional programs have the tools to respond to addiction both inside facilities and as inmates return to their communities.