New plans for treatment facility at former Poplar Hill Pre-Release Unit

Hidden down a Quantico country road is a place that used to house nearly 200 inmates getting ready to be released from prison. Many know it as the Poplar Hill Pre-Release Corrections facility 

A place that back in July of 2017 was shut down by the Dept. of Corrections. 

Now a year later with no signs of a turnaround, Wicomico County decided to ask the public what they wanted it to be.

Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver says, "We had had several forums throughout the county. The central theme I kept getting back was we need more beds, we needed more areas for people to detox and longer term recovery." 

The county is hoping to remodel the abandoned facility into a residential treatment center, one that is desperately needed on the Eastern Shore.

"There's a very small window of opportunity when someone wants to get help, so you really need to get them into treatment right away. We only have one treatment center in Wicomico County with beds and usually there's almost always a wait," explains Jackie Ball, Vice President of Worcester County Warriors Against Opiate Addiction. 

Culver says this treatment center would have 60 beds with different sections vital for an addict's successful recovery. 

"We're actually going to have a great part be detox. Part of it will be an overnight stay, there's a 24 hour clinic and that will determine whether or not you're an inpatient client or a heavy outpatient and just do day to day therapy." 

The cost to make this plan become a reality, Culver says, is somewhere between $5 million to $7 million.

Money that he says will be provided by state and federal agencies with support coming from every Eastern Shore county.

And although this project is still in its early stage, many believe this is a huge stride towards fighting addiction on the shore.

Ball adding, "It takes a long time for people to recover so they sometimes need up to a year of treatment and a place to go, so this would be great in solving the problem." 

This plan for a treatment facility is part of the state's efforts to combat opioid addiction. The research and plans thus far are set to be outlined to the Wicomico County Council Tuesday.

Culver says if everything goes smoothly, this facility could be open as early as July of 2019.