Justice Department Awards Nearly $59,000,000 To Combat Opioid Epidemic, Fund Drug Courts

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

Erie County to receive $300,000;
Seneca Nation of Indians to receive $399,000 

BUFFALO, NY–The Department of Justice today announced $58,800,000 to strengthen drug court programs and address the opioid epidemic nationwide.

In 2016, nearly 60,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 52,000 overdose deaths the year before. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. The opioid epidemic, a public health crisis, is also a growing public safety crisis.

“Today, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These trends are shocking and the numbers tell us a lot– but they aren’t just numbers.  They represent moms and dads, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends. And make no mistake combatting this poison is a top priority for President Trump and his administration, and you can be sure that we are taking action to address it.  Today, we are announcing that we will be awarding millions in federal grants to help law enforcement and public health agencies address prescription drug and opioid abuse.  This is an urgent problem and we are making it a top priority.”

In Erie County, there were 301 confirmed opioid related deaths in 2016. There have been 112 confirmed deaths so far in 2017 with another 132 suspected deaths.

“Hopefully, this significant funding from the Department of Justice will further assist our federal, state, and local partners in our combined and ongoing effort to turn the tide in our battle against opioids. It is a battle we continue to fight on multiple fronts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. “Our District will be receiving funding which includes: $300,000 to Erie County to support programs designed to connect overdose survivors to services; and $399,344 is being provided to the Seneca Nation of Indians to support county-based approaches to establish effective diversion and/or alternatives to incarceration programs for individuals with opioid use disorders.”

About $24,000,000 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. This program helps regulatory, law enforcement, and public health agencies address prescription drug and opioid misuse; reduce crime; and save lives.

An additional $3,100,000 million will be awarded by the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation on drugs and crime. The research priorities are heroin and other opioids and synthetic drugs.

The department is also awarding more than $22,200,000 to 53 jurisdictions to support the implementation and enhancement of adult drug courts and Veterans Treatment Courts, which serve as “one-stop-shops” to link veterans with services, benefits and program providers, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations and volunteer veteran mentors.

The department is also awarding more than $9,500,000 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. These programs help jurisdictions build effective family drug treatment courts and ensure current juvenile drug treatment courts follow established guidelines.