IRON MOUNTAIN — Opioid settlement funds will be used to purchase a body scanner to screen inmates at the Dickinson County Correctional Center as the sheriff’s department prepares to again accommodate a work release program.

Work release privileges for inmates have yet to resume since being paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheriff Aaron Rochon said. The department was reluctant to lift a suspension that began in 2020 due to concerns about potential fentanyl exposure, he told the county board Monday.

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve Rochon’s request to acquire a Tek84 Intercept whole body security scanning system at a cost of up to $142,500, as quoted by the San Diego, Calif., manufacturer.

The scanner, Rochon said in a memo, “would provide our staff with the tools necessary to conduct thorough and non-invasive screenings, significantly reducing the risks associated with contraband entering the facility.”

The technology has been widely adopted in correctional centers, Rochon added. The model Dickinson County plans to buy is being used in Iron County, where officials are pleased with its performance, he said.

Reinstating the work release program in cooperation with the district and circuit courts will offer people sentenced to jail the chance to maintain employment while serving their sentences. It was noted the scanner is sensitive enough to detect blood clots, which could bring another added benefit.

Dickinson County currently has $460,000 in its opioid account and the scanner is considered an appropriate use, Controller Brian Bousley said. Also, a grant through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority could contribute up to $50,000 toward the purchase.

Settlement funds come from various lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. In December, the county had committed up to $55,000 annually from its funds to hire a health educator who will work with area youth on substance abuse and violence prevention. Iron County and the Dickinson-Iron Health Department will also contribute to funding that position within the health agency.

Communities in Michigan are receiving different opioid settlement amounts per capita, depending on a formula the state developed to measure vulnerability to the opioid crisis. Dickinson County’s share has been roughly estimated at nearly $1.7 million.