Kane jail’s Recovery Pod reduced overdose deaths 89% after detainee release

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain’s initiative to treat opioid addiction in the jail resulted in an 89% reduction in overdose deaths of those formerly detained, according to a news release.

Hain created Recovery Pod to help those with opioid dependence, knowing once they leave jail custody without treatment or support – they are 74 times more likely to overdose and die upon return to the community.

Correctional treatment is essential for bending the curve on deaths in the county, Hain stated in the release.

Before Recovery Pod was created, in 2017, 11 people left custody at the jail, overdosed and died; and in 2018, 15 people who left custody overdosed and died, according to the release.

After Recovery Pod was set up in March 2019, 300 jail residents have been served.

In 2019, two people who left jail overdosed and died and in 2020, it was one person, the release stated.

The treatment in the jail is provided by Lighthouse Recovery in St Charles, which also provides support for reentry into society and continued group counseling once detainees are released from custody.

“The hard work and dedication of the men and women in this program has been incredible to witness, especially in light of the events of the last 12 months,” Lighthouse Clinical Director Nate Lanthrum stated in the release.

“They show up, they support each other, they’ve made their environments safer – and they’ve truly tried to change their mindsets and their behaviors,” Lanthrum stated in the release. “And bottom line – as a result – they’re less likely to return to use (drugs) when they get home. I’m proud to stand next to each and every one of them as they move forward in their lives.”

Hain stated in the release that he was “proud to provide this lifesaving and life changing service to those in custody without spending any tax dollars on the program. Inmate commissary commission is used to cover all expenses related to supportive programming.”