Jail Reentry for People with Substance Use Disorders Part 1: Meeting Immediate Needs
Watch On-Demand
Click the video player below to watch the webinar on-demand. If you are having issues accessing the recording, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.
Counties are implementing thoughtful and robust strategies to address the distinctive needs of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) who are returning to the community from jail. Nearly two-thirds of people sentenced to jail meet the criteria for drug use or dependence, and reentry from jail can be a pivotal point in the justice process; this is especially true in times of instability like the current COVID-19 pandemic. Counties are supporting people’s reentry through housing, employment and transportation as well as accessing treatment.
Join NACo for part one in a three-part series on supporting people with a substance use disorder leaving jail. Presenters will discuss strategies counties can use to partner with government agencies and service providers to share information and develop jail reentry strategies that encompass training and workforce development, housing obtainment, accessing transportation and connections to behavioral health treatment.
Speakers
Robert Deen
Chelsea McGill
Jocelyn Olsen
Glen Sayes
Watch Recording
Click here to watch the recording in a new window.
House passes legislation to increase the Crime Victims Fund
On January 12, the House passed the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (H.R. 909) by a voice vote.
SAMHSA cancels, reinstates thousands of behavioral health grants
Late on Wednesday, January 14, the Administration announced that thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants that had been terminated just one day earlier would be reinstated.
House passes three-year extension of ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
On January 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits (EPTCs) for three years, sending the measure to the Senate as lawmakers work to negotiate a bipartisan compromise.
CMS requires state Medicaid suspension upon arrest versus termination
Effective January 1, 2026, federal law now requires states to suspend, rather than terminate, Medicaid coverage when an individual is incarcerated.
ICE hiring surge challenges county law enforcement
Local governments hope that their law enforcement personnel will favor the familiarity of the communities they serve when weighing potentially lucrative immigration enforcement recruitment bonuses, which may require them to uproot their lives.
The Current State of Student Debt and Forgiveness
This webinar is designed for county HR and leadership teams seeking practical ways to support employees struggling with student debt.
Over 9 million public service workers, including full-time county employees, are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Yet fewer than 3 percent have successfully received relief.
The issue is not eligibility. It is awareness, complexity, and follow-through.
Please join us as we speak with student debt forgiveness expert Tony Raffa, who will clarify today’s student debt landscape, including:
- What recent policy and executive actions mean for public sector employees
- How Department of Education changes affect forgiveness eligibility, timelines, and compliance
- Which student debt relief programs do employees actually qualify for today
- The current status of the SAVE program
- Common application errors that delay or derail forgiveness
- Rising delinquency and repayment restart risks
- What HR teams need to know about collections, wage garnishment notices, and employer responsibilities
Attendees will also see how a new student debt navigation tool helps employees estimate their potential forgiveness, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce annual payments by an average of $2,244.
For HR teams, this means a scalable way to offer meaningful financial support without adding administrative burden.
Support
This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-AR-BX-K003 awarded to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) 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 IIR or of the U.S Department of Justice.