Governor Andy Beshear recently announced four more counties in the Commonwealth have been certified as Recovery Ready. Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee, and Nelson counties join ten others in this distinction. Officials said these communities have established addiction services for more than 122,000 Kentuckians. Counties with the designation help people struggling with addiction through services such as peer support, mental health treatment, addiction treatment, and employment services.
Governor Beshear said thanks in part to these programs, the rate of repeating drug offenses has decreased across the state.
“Lee County is home to the hub, which provides all these services as well as a diversion program for low-level drug offenders to treat addiction and help us to further reduce recidivism,” Beshear said. “Thanks in part to the folks in Lee County and across the Commonwealth we have recorded the three lowest recidivism rates in over a decade.”
The governor also announced that while the recidivism rate is down, so are overdose deaths across the Commonwealth.
“Despite this, we know that our work is not yet done. We are still losing far too many people, each one a child of God missed by their families and their communities. Every life is precious, and we continue this work until we lose no one from drugs,” said Beshear.
Earlier this month Governor Beshear announced the successful launch of a statewide drug operation by the Kentucky State Police. All 16 KSP posts participated in Operation Summer Heat, which produced 206 arrests and 490 charges issued. Beshear said it’s important to get drug dealers off the streets and help people in addiction recover.