The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says its Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program has reached a major milestone with its first successful transition of an inmate directly into a local recovery program.

Officials say the individual moved from the detention center into Renewed Hope , a one-year, four-phase program in Murphy that uses a 12-step model to support recovery and reentry into the community.

The MAT Program, funded through a Dogwood Health Trust grant, was launched under Sheriff Smith’s administration to connect people in custody with long-term treatment instead of releasing them back onto the streets. A Sheriff’s Office clinician will also provide weekly therapy to participants.

Sheriff Smith said the program is designed to reduce repeat offenses and help families impa

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