For Immediate Release

Friday. Jan. 22, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Lee County and Dixon, Ill. Police Create Jail Assistance Program

DIXON, Ill. — Chief Danny Langloss and Sheriff John Simonton announce that the Dixon Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Department are working with the Lee County Jail to create a program to help inmates learn about and recover from opioid addiction.

The initiative will offer reading material and eventually counseling opportunities for those interested in researching addiction, or for those working toward overcoming their addiction.

“This is a unique first step at Lee County jail that we think will be highly beneficial to inmates,” Sheriff Simonton said. “The material is appropriate and has been used by others who have successfully overcome their addiction.”

The reading material will be available at the jail upon request. It consists of three copies of the AA Big Book and three copies of the NA books. In addition, other recovering addicts will periodically copy associated materials to bring to the jail.

“I encourage anyone struggling with addiction to get involved with this program,” Chief Langloss said. “There is no better time to overcome your addiction than right now.”

Working with the jail is part of the two law enforcement groups Safe Passage Initiative: Police Giving Hope to Addicts Through the Tools For Recovery, an addiction recovery program that launched on Sept. 1. It’s modeled after the Gloucester, Mass. ANGEL Initiative and aimed at encouraging addicts to seek the help of police officers and sheriff’s deputies, who will in turn get them into treatment.

Safe Passage was created in partnership with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), which provided its roster of treatment center partners across the country and a $2,500 grant to help offset transportation costs incurred by the Safe Passage Initiative.

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