Arizona AG distributes $10M in opioid settlement funds to 5 sheriff’s offices

Five Arizona county sheriff’s offices will split $10 million in opioid settlement funds to boost programs aimed at helping people transition back into their communities after incarceration, officials announced Thursday.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said each of the five counties will receive $2 million. The funding is intended to strengthen existing coordinated reentry planning services programs and break the cycle of jail time.

“The opioid crisis has touched every corner of our state, and breaking the cycle of addiction and incarceration requires real investment in reentry services,” Mayes said in a press release. “These funds will help county sheriffs expand programs that give Arizonans a real shot at recovery, stability, and a second chance.”

The $10 million comes from the state’s share of opioid settlement money. The funds are being distributed through formal agreements with the following agencies:

• Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Bret Axlund)
• Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Doug Schuster)
• Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff David M. Clouse)
• Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Ross Teeple, pending approval from the Pinal County Board of Supervisors)
• Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff David Rhodes)

The sheriff’s offices have until June 30, 2027, the end of the fiscal year, to use the money. To ensure accountability and transparency, each agency will be required to provide the Attorney General’s Office with quarterly financial reports and programmatic updates on how the funds are being used.

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