The U.S. Department of Justice this week announced almost $320 million in grants to further help states and territories address the heroin and opioid abuse crisis. These grants will be administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). Indiana will receive $9 million.
As a Health Subcommittee member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-Ind.-05) provided the following statement:
Brooks
“Increased funding for prevention, treatment and recovery efforts to protect our communities from the deadly heroin and opioid crisis will continue to be critically important until lives are no longer being lost. Indiana needs more resources to increase research efforts to prevent the spread of this epidemic, to support children and families whose homes are being torn apart by the opioid crisis, to help people who are already struggling because of substance abuse, and to ensure treatment and recovery resources are available to so we can save Hoosier lives. This will continue to be a priority of mine as I represent the 5th District in Congress, and I am pleased to see Indiana receive the attention and funding we so desperately need.”
Background
The DOJ’s funding goes towards a number of programs and initiatives which impact communities within the 5th District and the state as a whole, including:
- The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to state, local and tribal jurisdictions to develop and implement efforts to identify, respond to, treat and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic.
– Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs: $490,343
– Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: $3,063,050
– Indiana Criminal Justice Institute: $735,950
– Indiana State Department of Health: $1 million
- Helping Children and Youth Impacted by Opioids, which expands programs to provide services to children and youth who are victimized as a result of the opioid crisis.
– Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: $1.25 million.
- Drug Courts, which integrate evidence-based substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives and transitional services in judicially supervised court settings.
– Marion Superior Court: $500,000
– Bartholomew County Government: $499,423
– Miami County Government: $443,656
– Knox County: $499,597
- Opioid-Related Research for Criminal Justice Purposes, which provide research that promotes effective law enforcement, court and corrections responses to illegal drug markets.
– Indiana University: $445,244.
- Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purpose Program, which will address crime labs’ technology needs through generating new knowledge and tools, leading to an improved ability to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice.
More information on this funding can be found at this link.
The funding granted through the DOJ is in addition to $27.8 million Indiana received through grants from the Department of Health and Human Services aimed to combat the heroin and opioid crisis. More information on the HHS funding can be found at this link.
This funding is also in addition to the two rounds of $10.9 million – $21.8 million total – Indiana received as a result of the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law with Brooks’ support. More information on this funding can be found at this link.