New inmate program focuses on treatment behind bars

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    HENDERSON COUNTY, NC (WLOS ) — Drug addiction in the mountains is having a costly impact on taxpayers and resources.

Nearly 5,000 inmates came through the Henderson County Detention Center in 2019.

“All of this was designed to process fewer inmates than we currently house,” jail administrator Capt. Todd McCrain said.

McCrain said many of the people walking through his doors have returned time and time again.

“We see a lot of offenders dealing with substance abuse,” McCrain said.

County Commissioner, Bill Lapsley said it is a cycle that is stressing limited resources and costing taxpayers money.

“[It is] significant enough that all of the commissioners said, ‘we need to do something,’” Lapsley said.

Tina Lafor is an example of what has been done.

Three weeks ago, she became the jail’s very first Navigator, working one-on-one with inmates dealing with substance abuse and behavioral issues.

“Anything I can do to help, I will,” Lafor said.

Her position is funded by the Board of Commissioners, in an effort to reduce the number of inmates.

“We work with people and say, ‘why are we here again?’ and ‘what can we do to change that?’’ Lafor said.

For about 75% of inmates, the answer is substance abuse treatment — beginning while they are still behind bars, and not stopping once they are out.

“So that as soon as they walk out the door, I can turn around tomorrow and call you say, ‘OK, we talked to behavioral health and you are supposed to go there for intake, or you this is going to help you,’ opposed to before they would just kept them out and they would have no knowledge,” Lafor said.

Fewer people in Capt. McCrain’s jail is a clear sign of a healthier community, and a less money coming out of tax payers’ wallets.

“The hope is that we have is that will keep that person from going back in the same type of practices, that they were doing before they came here, and we won’t see them again,” Cpt. McCrain said.

Capt. McCrain says there are plans to expand the prison.

There is no timeline yet on when that will happen.

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