Sheriff Koutoujian Hosts Training for Addiction Treatment

Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian recently welcomed 30 correctional, judicial and addiction treatment professionals from across the country to the Middlesex House of Correction & Jail for training on addiction programming.

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office hosted the training on April 30 – May 1, as part of its designation as a National Mentor Site by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for its Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program.

“I was honored to be able to welcome so many dedicated professionals to the Middlesex House of Correction to learn about the tremendous work of our corrections officers and our treatment staff,” said Sheriff Koutoujian, in a press release. “We’re extremely proud of the work we are doing to try to help those in our custody address their addictions and reduce recidivism.”
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program is housed in a 126-bed pod at the Middlesex House of Correction. Inside the housing unit, inmates participate in a 90-day long therapeutic treatment program operated by AdCare Criminal Justice Services designed to help inmates address their addictions and encourage positive thinking. Presently, approximately 45 percent of those inmates participating in the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program identify opioids as their main addictive issue, with alcohol second at nearly 30 percent.

In addition to presentations by Middlesex Sheriff’s Office staff, there were also presentations by treatment staff from the Norfolk, Barnstable and Berkshire Sheriff’s Offices about their Residential Substance Abuse Treatment programs, as well as a discussion of Medication Assisted Treatment featuring Dr. Steve Valle of AdCare Criminal Justice Services, and a question and answer session with Judge Robert Ziemian on collaboration between Residential Substance Abuse Treatment and drug courts.

Participants in the training came from eight states including Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas & Nevada.