WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. - The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office has a new home for its substance abuse treatment programs, and current and former inmates believe it’s a big upgrade that will help more people have a successful recovery.

Previously, the Worcester County Jail had inmates in its Substance Treatment Opportunity Program (STOP) living with the general population, but it wasn’t an an easy environment to find personal growth.

The new facility, located in an annex of the Worcester County Jail that had been unused, features more natural light and a living space shared only by others in recovery.

“Back when we were in the main jail, it was dark,” inmate Jared Bachand said. “When it was springtime for the first time, we went outside, and when I came back inside it was like living in a cave. I sleep better now that I’m in this program, I’m able to open up more when I’m in groups, and it really has been just a great experience.”

Sheriff Lew Evangelidis said entering recovery with the jail’s general population had its shortcomings, including too many distractions and pressures. For inmates, the process of recovery and reintegration should be smooth, and the new space gets rid of the clutter.

“This is about a support network of inmates helping each other with our incredible staff to get people ready so when they re-enter, they can do it without fear, or at least have the tools to handle anything that comes at them,” Evangelidis said. “Our goal for them and prayer for them is that they will never go back that way and live a life of sobriety.”

Former inmate John Wayne Cormier Jr. began his recovery long before the new facility opened up, but he’s now involved in a mentorship capacity. Walking around the new space, he sees others  following his footsteps.

“For people who are coming from dark places, those caves, to step into an environment like this and be separate from the politics and the chaos that can kind ensue, I see a lot of hope in these rooms,” Cormier said. “When I walked in here, I was blown away by the amount of light, and how appropriate.”

Evangelidis also said it’s an important time to be proactive in addiction treatment following a year in which Massachusetts saw a record number of fatal opioid-related overdoses.