As nearly 11 million people are admitted to county and other local jails every year, counties are uniquely positioned to lead efforts to advance safety and justice through reducing the misuse and overuse of jails. This issue brief is one of five from NACo addressing key areas of local criminal justice systems that most affect counties and offering strategies counties can employ to address these issues, make their justice systems work more effectively and efficiently, and ultimately lead to safer and healthier communities. 

County Roles and Opportunities in Opioid Treatment for Justice-Involved Individuals outlines some of the challenges counties face when trying to treat opioid misuse and addiction in justice-involved individuals and highlights key strategies that communities have used to address this issue, including community-based treatment, treatment within the justice system, reentry planning and special considerations for rural counties.

This issue brief was developed with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, which seeks to reduce overincarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails.