Guilford County, NC

Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

north carolina

Urban | Population: 549,866

Guilford County, North Carolina, faces a critical public health and criminal justice challenge due to the opioid epidemic. The county experienced an 85% increase in opioid overdose deaths from 2018 to 2022, with a 2021 overdose death rate of 46 per 100,000 residents, higher than the state average of 39 per 100,000. The county’s two detention centers house an average daily population of 900 individuals, with approximately 35 inmates per day requiring clinical opiate withdrawal protocols. Additionally, the county’s recidivism rate is alarmingly high at 51%, with substance use disorders (SUD) being a major contributing factor.  

Key COSSUP Initiatives

MEDICATION-ASSISTED treatment

Expand MAT services in detention centers, ensuring continuity of care post-release through partnerships with community providers.

Provide clinical assessments and consultations to ensure seamless transitions to treatment programs post-incarceration.

Comprehensive reentry coordination

Coordinate services provided by Certified Peer Support Specialists and Qualified Professionals.

Provide discharge planning, group therapy sessions, and warm handoffs to community resources, including housing and transportation.

Anticipated Benefits of Project

• Reduction in overdose fatalities

  This project aims to reduce overdose fatalities through access to timely and effective treatment, including medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD). 

• Increased public safety

  This project aims to increase public safety through seamlessly transitioning individuals from treatment in custody to community-based treatment. 

• Improved reentry outcomes

  This project aims to improve the reentry process and therefore reduce recidivism by addressing barriers to treatment, including housing, employment, and transportation. 

• Increased treatment compliance

  With the support of peer recovery specialists and treatment providers, this project aims to increase treatment compliance and effectiveness. 

Collaborative Partners

• Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

• Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP)

• Guilford County Department of Public Health

• Mental Health Associates of the Triad

• A Joyous Transition Inc.

• Dr. Natalie Yates, NC Agricultural and Technical State University

• The Guilford Overdose Prevention & Education Collective (GOPEC)

Project Director

Wayne Abraham
Guilford County Sheriff’s Office
wabraham@guilfordcountync.gov
336-641-3744

This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA23GK02258COAP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.