WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Justice will award $58.8 million to drug court programs in an effort to address the opioid epidemic, according to a release from the DoJ Friday afternoon.
Approximately $24 million in federal grants will go 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 alternative to incarceration programs for those impacted by the opioid epidemic.
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals will receive $1,415,000 for utilization of drug courts and Veterans Treatment Courts. This was the largest individual award handed out by the Department of Justice.
The West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Service, utilizing technology-assisted treatment approaches in recovery from opioids, will receive $750,000. This is defined as funding for individuals with opioid use disorders who have entered the justice system and have limited access to services due to geographic isolation.
Nearly 60,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2016, a more than 13 percent increase from 2015. The DoJ claims the majority of these deaths are attributed to opioids, including fentanyl and similar stronger drugs.
The funds were awarded under the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program and the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.