The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office received word on Friday January 7, 2022 that we have been awarded a grant in the amount of $355,693.00 for the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program. The Grant period covers from 1-1-2022 – 09-20-2023.
The RSAT program is a 12 month in custody Substance Abuse treatment program which will be administered by the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center. The first 90 days will be at the Hempstead County Detention center with the remaining 9 months of after care being held at Banner Hope.
The goal of the program is to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand for, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs in Hempstead County.
The RSAT Program has six objectives:
1. Enhance and/or build capacity to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates.
2. Ensure that program participants are not abusing substances (including opioids, stimulants, etc.) while participating in the program or upon program completion.
3. Prepare inmates for their integration back into the communities through re-entry planning activities.
4. Assist individuals and their communities through the re-entry process through the delivery of community -based treatment and other broad based aftercare services.
5. Ensure that program participants are segregated from the general population in the jail.
6. Ensure that program participants will participant and have access to the substance abuse treatment program for at least 3 months as well as random drug testing.
The Treatment program has four Goals.
1. To present a drug free individual to our community and the individual’s family
2. To offer the tools and mindset necessary to remain clean and function as a viable member of the community and their family.
3. To teach the individual skills necessary to provide financially for their family and give back to our community.
4. To show the individual how to lead (not just participate in) their family and community toward a brighter future together.
The Hempstead County Sheriff’s office has begun to establish partnerships with several churches and community organizations and will seek out others to help in our program.
Our first partnerships are with First Baptist Church of Hope and their Banner Hope program, Southwest Mental Health and Chenal Family Therapy. SWMH and Chenal Therapy will provide counseling sessions through out the entire program. HCSO has instituted a new chaplaincy program with over 17 volunteer chaplains Led by Chaplin Adam Perry, to minister to inmates at the jail.
After the initial three months is completed in the jail, participants will begin aftercare at the Banner Hope Center facilities. They will be housed, fed and taught at Banner Hope which will last nine months. On site Detention Center Officers will be present at the facility and everywhere the participants are present.
At Banner Hope they will be surrounded with relationships designed to hold them accountable to the new norms we are working to establish. We will create a very structured environment designed to encourage freedom from addiction, discipline to accomplish stated goals and everyday tasks, set and work out a daily schedule and build relationships that last. We will also work to rebuild a daily routine and character traits that are often lost in addiction: healthy parenting, a good work ethic, dependability, service to others and generosity.
A variety of classes including but not limited to; financial management. Parenting, healthy marriage relationships, understanding the psychological, physical, emotional and cultural barriers to addiction, memory work (basic truths, proverbs, psalms, prayers), Basic devotional teaching, 12 step addiction recovery.
The HCSO and Banner Hope will also provide skills classes to program participants such as mechanics (small engine repair), Introduction to HCAC, culinary classes and the Banner Hope Tiny House project where participants will learn how to build a tiny house for people who live in substandard housing. Funds for the houses are donated and the houses are given free of charge to the residents.
We will also provide training for families of the participants in our program on many levels. Our financial, parenting and marriage classes will be offered to all member of the participants families. We will also work with the children, helping them to understand their parents’ addiction and what to expect upon release.
Plans and prayers for this program have been in the works for over two years, with our partners and the community, we are finally are about to launch this project with receipt of the RSAT grant.
We are adding this program to our arsenal in our fight against illegal narcotics, prescription drugs and addiction. the Men and women of the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office will continue to aggressively seek out and arrest drug dealers and any people associated with narcotic activity in our county. But on the other hand, we will offer a helping hand to those individuals who are addicted to these substances and want to receive help with their addiction. We look forward to working with all the volunteers who have already indicated that they would like to help with this program.
In closing, please pray for the success of this program, the persons who will present the program and the inmates who are selected to participate. And as always please pray for our men and women of law enforcement, EMS, Fire Service, first responders and our Military.
Thank You,
James A. Singleton, Sheriff
Hempstead County.