STAR (Striving to Achieve Recovery): An Innovative Jail Program Saving Lives and Reducing Recidivism

Monday, May 23, 2022

3:45 PM – 5:15 PM

Location: 104A

Created by the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office and partnered with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB), Striving to Achieve Recovery (STAR) is a jail-based addiction recovery program led by certified peer recovery specialists with support from medical and behavioral health professionals. Participants with chronic substance abuse and drug-involved arrests live together in a housing unit that serves as a therapeutic community. This voluntary program is designed for individuals committed to living a recovery lifestyle upon release from the Adult Detention Center. Participants assume responsibility not only for their own recovery, but also for the recovery of their peers. They pledge to serve as role models, working collectively to hold each other accountable. The program helps participants develop a support network to aid in their recovery while incarcerated, create a sustainable plan for a sober future, and reduce the chances of returning to jail after release.

Presenter(s)

Jaime Popik

Captain/Chief, Alternative Incarceration Branch
Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
Fairfax, Virginia
Liane Hanna

Re-Entry Specialist
Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
Nicholas Yacoub

CPRS Supervisor
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
Sahana Karpoor, LCSW

MAT Coordinator
Fairfax County Sheriff's Office