Madison County Sheriff works with state program to secure treatment for inmates

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) — The Madison County sheriff hosted a meeting Monday with local mental health providers and a state agency to secure mental health treatment for some inmates after they leave prison.

Recovery Works is a state program that connects some felons with mental health treatment, even if they don’t have insurance. The idea is to keep the criminals from ending up back in jail.

“There are so many ways we need to address this problem, or things will get worse,” Madison County Sheriff Scott Mellinger said.

Mellinger said the program can be beneficial to criminals with serious mental health problems or drug addictions.

“It’s not an issue where we just need to build more jails and prisons,” he said.

Recovery Works pays mental health providers to treat felons who otherwise can’t afford treatment. A spokesperson for the program pitched the plan to health providers outside the sheriff’s office.

Mike Casuscelli works for the Madison County Community Health Center. He said after Thursday’s meeting, the agency plans to provide treatment for felons through Recovery Works.

“Many of these people, while incarcerated, they’ve either lost their insurance or they’re not eligible for insurance,” Casuscelli said.

Sheriff Mellinger said the program is for convicted felons or people with a criminal history who have a current felony charge.

Madison County health leaders have planned a summit to fight drug addiction for April 14 at the Anderson University Flagship Center.