Department of Justice Awards Nearly $59 Million to Combat Opioid Epidemic, Fund Drug Courts

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced $58.8 million to strengthen drug court programs and address the opioid epidemic nationwide. About $24 million in federal grants will be awarded to 50 cities, counties and public health departments to provide financial and technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments to create comprehensive diversion and alternatives to incarceration programs for those impacted by the opioid epidemic. These funds, awarded under the Office of Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Assistance's Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, also included funds from the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. An additional $3.1 million will be awarded by the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation on drugs and crime. More than $22.2 million will be awarded to 53 jurisdictions to support the implementation and enhancement of adult drug courts and Veterans Treatment Courts.

The department is also awarding more than $9.5 million under several Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant programs, including the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Grant Program and the Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Program. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-awards-nearly-59-million-combat-opioid-epidemic-fund-drug-courts