SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement awarded Georgia Southern University (GSU) over $2.2 million to launch a rural opioid harm reduction program for justice-involved individuals.

Incarcerated populations experience higher rates of substance abuse compared to the general public. Rural Opioid Harm Reduction (ROHR) is a two-year program at GSU’s Institute for Health Logistics and Analytics (IHLA) that supports incarcerated individuals, their families and law enforcement in rural Georgia by reducing opioid overdoses during the first weeks after an inmate’s release.

“We’re bringing tools and support directly to the people who need them most,” said Kathryn Stewart, business and finance coordinator at IHLA and ROHR project lead. “Rural county jails and first responders have long been doing what they can to respond to the opioid epidemic, but many simply don’t have the resources to implement proven strategies.”

The program will also provide training, resource maps and supplies to law enforcement, recently released individuals and their families.

The ROHR program comes at a time when opioid-related deaths have increased in southeast Georgia since the year 2020.

To learn more about this initiative, click here.