Scott County Jail creates new rehab program for inmates

SCOTT COUNTY, In. (WAVE) - The Scott County Jail in Scottsburg, Indiana was one of the five jails in the state of Indiana to receive funding for a new pilot program.

According to officials, this new program is focused around the evaluation of inmates the moment they enter the justice system and help those who struggle with addiction or mental health issues.

It is known as the Integrated Re-entry and Correctional Support program or IRACS for short.

”So, one of the biggest, significant pieces here is the wrap-around services that we’re able to do,” Executive Director of Thrive, Phil Stucky said. “We’re not just letting people leave incarceration, and then make it to their appointments, we’re actually transporting them and making that connections inside the jail, to get that warm handoff. To get that human-touch piece from inside while we’re working with them to when they’re going back inside their communities.”

After the pilot program is complete, some fine tuning will be put into place.

If the pilot programs are found to be successful, it will be integrated into all 92 counties across Indiana in the next three years.