Kosciusko County received an $87,800 grant from the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association to start a Jail Chemical Addiction Program Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Wednesday.

The county has a contract with the Bowen Center, a behavioral health care organization for the program.

“We must insist that offenders in our jails and prisons are provided genuine and meaningful opportunities to turn their lives around and break the cycles that lead individuals repeatedly into criminal behavior,” Hill said. “JCAP programs are excellent examples of such opportunities. For criminal offenders with addiction problems, incarceration can be a godsend if it helps put them on the road to recovery. The key is connecting them with quality long-term treatment programs that begin during incarceration and continue upon their release.”

Kosciusko County Sheriff W.R. “Rocky” Goshert says he is excited to start the program in the county.

“We all should agree on the need to stay tough on crime and ensure that lawbreakers are properly penalized for their offenses,” Sheriff Goshert said. “At the same time, we want these individuals to be productive members of society once they have done their time and re-enter society. So I’m truly excited to start implementing a JCAP program here in Kosciusko County.”