LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Lancaster County Commissioners have approved of a grant worth at least a half-million dollars to the county prison to aid a drug-treatment program.

Commissioner Josh Parsons believes the prison is already in good hands, but this gives the opportunity to prisoners to better themselves and not re-offend.

“The goal is that we don’t want to see people back,” says Parsons. “We want to reduce recidivism.”

Currently, more than 80% of inmates at Lancaster County Prison were incarcerated on drug charges. This program is guided to help assure that those heading back into the community will flourish.

“If they don’t get treatment, they are going to have the same disorder when they leave,” John Hargreaves of the Pennsylvania Prison Society said.

The county prison is notably known for having shorter sentences.

“Lancaster County Prison is designed to people who are serving sentences less than two years,” says Hargreaves. “Which means they will be coming back to the communities to which they came.”

Hargreaves added that the state of Pennsylvania is given one billion dollars to spend how it chooses on the prison system. It is up to the counties to spend, not the state.