North Carolina Department of Correction news release

November 23, 1998

Correction grant helps spur Orange County treatment facility

New residential treatment space for alcoholics and addicts will soon be available in Orange County thanks to a partnership between the community, local government and the NC Division of Community Correction’s Criminal Justice Partnership Program.

"Alcoholism and addiction are really a community problem, not just a criminal justice or mental health problem," said Tom Eckman, Freedom House board chairman. ""What’s extraordinary about this is how many people and agencies came together to work on this project."

Community Corrections Director Robert Guy and Freedom House Director Trish Hussey

The 27-year-old Freedom House held ceremonies Nov. 17 to mark construction of it’s new $668,000 facility. Two buildings, a treatment facility and men’s housing unit, are near completion and should open early next year. Efforts are still underway to build a women’s housing unit. "This is another partnership with communities and shows how we can work together to enhance public safety through treatment," said Community Corrections Director Robert Lee Guy who joined Orange County officials for the ceremonies. "This kind of program can’t be funded by a Criminal Justice Partnership Program grant alone. It takes a strong community effort to build and operate a residential facility."

Community support provided most of the funding for the new facility that also received a $166,000 CJPP grant. Guy told the crowd that the grant is an example of the collaborative effort required to control and treat offenders. He said it is important for probation officers to work with the court, law enforcement, mental health and treatment programs in the community.

Freedom House already has a halfway house with space for 12 women, eight-bed detox program and three-bed non-hospital medical detox unit at a 5-acre site in Chapel Hill. The new addition will provide treatment, meeting, office and dining space in a central building, as well as a 10-bed men’s housing unit.

The state Criminal Justice Partnership Program was created in 1993 to provide grant funding to communities to create programs such as day reporting centers and substance abuse treatment programs to meet local criminal justice needs. There are now 79 North Carolina counties in partnership with the program.

Division of Community Corrections
--Criminal Justice Partnership Program

NC DOC News - January 1999

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