The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded more than $96 million in grants to fund drug courts and veterans’ treatment courts, the department announced Wednesday.
The courts, funded through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, work to get nonviolent juveniles, veterans, and adults with substance use disorder who have been charged with a crime into treatment instead of detention facilities.
“My years interacting with drug-involved offenders as a state judge gave personal validation to the findings of researchers – drug courts have enormous potential to reduce crime, curb abuse and change lives,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “I’m so proud to make these important investments in strategies that have been shown to improve public safety and deliver badly-needed treatment resources to those, like our nation’s veterans, who have been caught up in a cycle of crime and addiction.”
The awards are part of $340 million in OJP grants awarded in October to fight the addiction crisis in America, the department said.
OJP’s funding includes $57 million for the Adult Drug Court and Veterans’ Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to states, state courts, local courts, and local and tribal governments to develop, implement, and enhance drug courts.
An additional $2.6 million will fund the National Community Courts Site-based and Training and Technical Assistance Initiative, supporting community courts and practitioners in developing effective responses to low-level and non-violent offenses while addressing substance and opioid use.
Another $5 million will fund the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program to provide state, local and tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug court programs.