Justice Department Awards Over $8.7 Million To Fight Opiod Crisis, Combat Drugs And Crime In North Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced awards of more than $8,742,871 to help public safety and public health professionals in the Northern
District of Florida combat substance abuse and respond effectively to overdoses, part of $333 million awarded nationwide to help communities affected by the opioid crisis. The awards were
announced by OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan.

“The opioid crisis has destroyed far too many lives and left too many Americans feeling helpless
and hopeless,” Sullivan said. “This epidemic—the most deadly in our nation’s history—is introducing
new dangers and loading public health responsibilities onto the public safety duties of our law
enforcement officers. The Department of Justice is here to support them during this unprecedented
and extremely challenging time.”

With more than 130 people dying from opioid-related overdoses every day, the Department of Justice
has made fighting addiction to opioids—including heroin and fentanyl—a national priority. The Trump
Administration is providing critical funding for a wide range of activities— from preventive
services and comprehensive treatment to recovery assistance, forensic science services, and
research—to help save lives and break the cycle of addiction and crime.

“Winning the fight against opioid addiction will require not just effective law enforcement, but
also a comprehensive and coordinated approach from community organizations and service providers at
the local level,” said Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“These grants will go a long way to support the efforts of those combatting this plague in
hometowns and neighborhoods across the Northern District of Florida.”

The awards announced support an array of activities designed to reduce the harm inflicted by these
dangerous drugs. Grants will help law enforcement officers, emergency responders and treatment
professionals coordinate their response to overdoses. Funds will also provide services
for children and youth affected by the crisis and will support the nationwide network of drug and treatment courts.  Other awards will address prescription drug abuse, expand the capacity of forensic labs, and support opioid-related research.

Awards were made to three organizations in the Northern District of Florida:

Florida Office of the State Courts Administrator $1,492,871

Institute for Intergovernmental Research            $6,000,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America                       $1,250,000

Information about the programs and awards announced is available here. For more information about
OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine
T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other
resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims, and enhance
the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about
OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that
serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access
available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office,
of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.