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Press Release

U.S. Attorney Erica H. Macdonald Announces $4.7 Million In Justice Department Grants To Combat Addiction Crisis

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota

U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced awards of more than $4.7 million in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction in the District of Minnesota. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.

“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”

“As a former judge and Assistant United States Attorney, I have seen first-hand the damage and destruction drug addiction can cause to individuals, families, and communities, said United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.” But I have also seen inspiring examples of recovery and I know that there is always hope. These grants will provide and sustain the treatment and prevention resources that are crucial in the fight against drug addiction.”

Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.

“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”

Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program:

Category 1

Awardee

Amount Awarded

Ottawa County Community Mental Health

$900,000

City of Duluth

$899,055

Upper Sioux Community

$538,819

County of Saint Louis

$897,607

City of Saint Paul

$412,125

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program: Category 2

8th Judicial District Treatment Court

$286,617

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program: Category 3

Judiciary Courts of the State of Minnesota

$499,486

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program

Minnesota Department of Public Safety

$279,382

Total Minnesota

$4,713,091

A full list of the awards, organized under specific grant programs and listing awardees by state, is available here.

Additional information about FY 2020 grant awards from the Office of Justice Programs can be found online at the OJP Award Data Page.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

 

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Updated October 19, 2020

Topics
Community Outreach
Opioids
Prescription Drugs
Grants