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2017 SESSION
WHEREAS, in 2016, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Karl Leonard, launched the Heroin Addiction Recovery Program at the Chesterfield County Jail, an innovative, voluntary program to help inmates fight addiction and rebuild their lives; and
WHEREAS, the opioid epidemic has exacted a heavy price in Chesterfield County, where there were more than 150 overdoses in 2016, more than 30 of which were fatal, and addiction often leads to an increase in related crimes, such as larcenies, which further strain the resources of the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, in collaboration with local community partners, Karl Leonard and the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office launched the Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (HARP) in March 2016; and
WHEREAS, originally funded entirely by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office and the McShin Foundation, the Chesterfield County HARP program began with nine participants and has helped dozens of inmates since its inception; and
WHEREAS, the Chesterfield County HARP program is a six-month intensive treatment curriculum, utilizing peer-to-peer and professional recovery support, group discussions, and guest speakers; participants in the program are considered “trustees” and live separately from other inmates; and
WHEREAS, many heroin addicts relapse within the first year of recovery, and graduates of the Chesterfield County HARP program are encouraged to continue attending counseling meetings even after they have completed their sentence; and
WHEREAS, four graduates of the program served as panelists at the Heroin in Our Family community forum hosted by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office in October 2016, sharing their stories in an effort to help other individuals and families battling addiction; and
WHEREAS, in late 2016, the Chesterfield County HARP program expanded to include female inmates, prompting dozens of women to request transfers to the Chesterfield County Jail to receive treatment; and
WHEREAS, the Chesterfield County HARP program received national attention when it was covered by Ryan Hampton, a passionate advocate for people struggling with addiction, for the Huffington Post politics blog; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office for establishing the Heroin Addiction Recovery Program; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Karl Leonard, the Chesterfield County Sheriff, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the work of the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office to fight opioid addiction and reduce recidivism.