Washington County Awarded $63,000 For Inmate Anti-Addiction Drug

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- The Washington County Detention Center has been awarded a $62,700 state grant to help inmates overcome their addictions to heroin and other opiates.

The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown reports in a Tuesday news release from the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention, the money is part of a larger $500,000 grant awarded to seven other detention centers and health departments across Maryland.

Officials say under some of the programs, selected inmates will receive monthly injections of Vivitrol, a nonnarcotic and non-addictive substance that blocks the euphoric effects of heroin and other opiates.

Washington County received the second highest amount. The Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Services received $100,000.