Bonneville County wants to be the first county in Idaho to offer a unique mental health and drug treatment facility in its jail.

On Wednesday they turned in a grant application that puts the county in the running for a million dollars to start up the program.

"I've been battling meth since I was 15, an IV user since 16, its no good," said inmate, Ryan Stevens. 

It's estimated that 80 percent of people behind bars, like Ryan Stevens, have drug or alcohol abuse problems. 

And as of right now, little is being done to help change their ways before they get out of jail.

"If someone goes into the Bonneville County Jail, all they're doing is sitting in the cell.  There isn't treatment," said Tracey Sessions. 

Earlier in the year, Tracey Sessions, along with a group of local leaders put together a program that would change all of that.

The program offers more classes and programs to kick addictions and get mental health disorders back in order.

Once the offender makes progress, the program includes work release to get him or her situated with a job. 

After that the program helps with housing outside of jail.

This spring the program was approved in Boise.

Now counties from all over are applying to get the money, but perhaps no one has more of an interest than the people who first came up with the idea in the first place.

And offenders who watch the revolving door in the jail say a program like this might just slow the rate of repeat offenders that come through these doors over and over again.

The winner of the grant will be announced on October 1.

The county is already planning an expansion at the jail, so if approved, they'll add classrooms and office space to their plans.