Carbon County is utilizing a portion of the national opioid settlement funds it is receiving to help inmates at the Carbon County Correctional Facility.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners approved an agreement with Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission to divert inmates into needed treatment programs using the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative model, as well as work with attorneys of those who are incarcerated to try to cut down on recidivism at the prison.

The agreement is effective immediately and will cost a total of $54,630 from the opioid settlement dollars, paid in monthly installments based on the percentage of people with opiate use disorder and co-occurring substance abuse disorder/mental health conditions.

The board said that the prison has already been working on a diversion program for two to three years at the facility and this just helps with that program have more reach.

“It’s to get them into the proper facilities,” Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said.

On Friday, Warden Jim Youngkin said that the program has been busy over the last few years, providing everything from counseling to individual services.

He said that of the 127 inmates currently housed at the 247-bed prison, a good percentage of the inmates are incarcerated are drug or alcohol charges related.

Carbon County has been working on providing services at the prison to try and cut down on the number of offenders who are released only to come back after committing another crime.

They have worked to create a reentry program, partner with outside agencies to provide services and created specialty treatment courts that have proven successful.