Last month, I received word that the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), an organization recognized as one of the strictest of the many oversight agencies that monitor correctional practices in the country, has, after a stem-to-stern audit in July, re-accredited the Hampshire Sheriff’s Office’s Opioid Treatment Program. The 46-page accreditation report shows that we were in 100 percent compliance with all 42 standards applicable to facilities of our size. This accreditation will be valid until Aug. 31, 2028.
As we commemorate September as National Recovery Month, I want the residents of Hampshire County to know that the goals of our Opioid Treatment Program are saving and improving lives, reducing crime and recidivism, and helping our clients re-enter their communities and re-join their families in better health than when they arrived at our facility. In addition to praising the teamwork and spirit of camaraderie they experienced during their visit, our NCCHC auditors noted that the relatively small size of our facility enhances our ability to achieve positive results because there is less internal bureaucracy than at larger facilities, which enables our team of professionals to develop better relationships with our patients and be more responsive to their individual needs.
Since earning our federal license in October of 2021, 644 individuals have been treated at our facility and have had access to the community support services we offer at the Northampton Recovery Center and Ware Recovery Center. Of those 644, only 115 have returned to our facility, giving us hope that there are 529 men, or 82 percent of our OTP participants, who are currently traveling in a better direction than the one that landed them in jail in first place.
Our results continue to show great promise and we will continue to operate our OTP, and all our programming, in a manner that meets or exceeds the standards set by the federal, state and local agencies that routinely audit our operation. I appreciate the meticulous review of our OTP and thank the NCCHC for their stamp of approval. I am enormously proud of all our staff, but especially the members of our OTP Team for their outstanding, and life-changing, work.
Recovery requires teamwork, among HSO staff, the men in our programs and our partners in the community. I believe the results of this re-accreditation audit demonstrate that the Hampshire Sheriff’s Office is moving in the right direction and remains a steadfast ally in the struggle against opioid addiction.
Patrick J. Cahillane is sheriff of Hampshire County.