IRON MOUNTAIN — A citizen is criticizing Dickinson County’s decision in January to use opioid settlement funds to acquire a body scanner for its correctional center, while county officials maintain the purchase was appropriate.

Liz Murray of Iron Mountain claims the county could face legal trouble over its purchase, which she says is not an allowable use of settlement funds. While some counties in Michigan have also used opioid funds for this purpose, others have reached different conclusions.

Dickinson’s scanner, which can be used to screen inmates, has allowed the county to resume a work release program that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 27 to approve Sheriff Aaron 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.”

During a county board meeting Monday, Murray argued that the body scanner is just an enforcement tool, and fails to meet a requirement that the vast majority of settlement funds be spent on “opioid remediation.” She claimed that typically only 10% of the jail’s inmates have substance abuse issues other than alcohol.

Prosecuting Attorney Abbey Anderson later addressed the board, saying Murray’s 10% claim was a “gross misstatement.” The scanner is important to the safety of the correctional facility, she added.

In January, Dickinson County Controller Brian Bousley said the scanner was considered an appropriate use of settlement funds. That view hasn’t changed, he said Monday.

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

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 is roughly estimated at $1.9 million, according to the Michigan Association of Counties’ Opioid Settlement Resource Center.