Justice Department Announces $41 Million For Adult, Family And Juvenile Drug Courts
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department announced today that it was awarding grants of more than $41 million to increase the effectiveness of adult, family and juvenile drug courts across the country.
"Drug courts are known to reduce recidivism and lower costs and are among the most effective and efficient ways to address individuals involved in drugs who come into contact with the justice system," said Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Karol V. Mason. "These awards continue our investment in an evidence-based approach that has been shown to make a difference, both in the lives of the participants and in the safety of their communities."
The competitive grant programs administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will enhance training; establish statewide performance measures; and support local partnerships among judges, treatment and school programs, law enforcement and others.
The BJA awarded more than $12 million to 55 jurisdictions in support of the Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant program. The program helps to reduce recidivism and substance abuse and increases an offender's likelihood of successful rehabilitation through early, continuous, and intense judicially supervised treatment, mandatory periodic drug testing, community supervision, appropriate sanctions and other services.
In addition, BJA and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) provided more than $2 million in supplemental funding to the Joint Adult Drug Court Training and Technical assistance portfolio.
OJJDP awarded $4 million to 10 jurisdictions in support of the Juvenile Drug Courts Addressing Systematic Barriers program. A juvenile drug court provides comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, and community based services to youth who are 18 years or younger that come into contact with the juvenile justice system due to alcohol or drug use. Funding is provided to implement enhancements to juvenile drug court operations to address systematic barriers and increase effectiveness.
OJJDP will also support efforts to share best practices and identify innovative approaches to advancing juvenile drug court practices, awarding $2 million to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to bring together "Juvenile Drug Court Communities of Practice"—consisting of juvenile drug court practitioners, judges, researchers, substance abuse treatment providers, youth and families impacted by juvenile drug courts. The program is designed to promote best practices related to the implementation of juvenile drug courts and to ensure positive outcomes and treatment for youth dealing with substance abuse issues that are referred to juvenile drug courts.
OJJDP provided nearly $1.6 million to support five family drug court statewide system reform efforts. This state systems reform effort builds on the OJJDP-sponsored publication, Guidance to States: Recommendations for Developing Family Drug Court Guidelines. This document helps sites support systems change that will have a lasting impact on family drug courts and the policies and practices of the court, child welfare, substance abuse treatment service systems, and the many community-based organizations that serve and support families.
OJJDP also provided $1,000,000 in supplemental funding to the Family Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance program to improve outcomes for children and families by providing training and technical assistance that supports the planning and implementation of comprehensive Family Drug Courts (FDCs). This program increases family drug courts' effectiveness by improving their program protocols and standards, cross-system collaborative relationships, cost-effectiveness and staff knowledge and skills.
OJP award recipients can be found at http://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/CurrentFundingOpportunities.htm.
About the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
OJP, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.
SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
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