Justice Department Announces over $4 Million in Grants to Rehabilitate and Reduce Recidivism among Military Veterans

The Department of Justice today announced awards totaling over $4 million to 13 state and local jurisdictions to help them use evidence-based principles and practices to rehabilitate and ultimately reduce recidivism among military veterans.

The awards, funded under the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s 2016 Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program, provide government court systems with financial and technical assistance to develop and implement Veterans Treatment Courts that tailor substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and other transitional services for military veterans who are substance abusers.  One in six veterans who served in either Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom suffer from substance abuse, according to the nonprofit Justice for Vets.

“Our military veterans often risk life and limb for their country,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Bill Baer.  “We owe our very best to help those who struggle with substance abuse get back on their feet, stay sober and successfully and productively integrate into civilian life.”

Veterans Treatment Courts enable participants’ likelihood of successful rehabilitation through early, continuous and intense judicially-supervised treatment.  Veterans Treatment Courts also serve as a “one-stop-shop” to link veterans with services, benefits and program providers, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations and volunteer veteran mentors.

Today’s awardees include: Kansas 10^th Judicial District Court ($314,494); the 14^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Louisiana ($350,000); Roseau County ($305,501) and Anoka County ($300,000), both in Minnesota; Miami-Dade County, Florida ($350,000); City of Norfolk, Virginia, Community Service Board ($300,000); the Judiciary Courts of the State of Montana ($300,000); Missouri 22^nd Judicial Circuit, St. Louis City Drug Court ($300,000); the Riverside, California, County Probation Department ($300,000) and the Superior Court of California, County of Solano ($296,875); Denton County, Texas ($299,732); La Crosse, Wisconsin, Area Veterans Court ($300,000); and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts ($300,000).

An additional $144,499 was provided to the National Institute of Corrections to supplement a project to develop, pilot and evaluate a risk assessment tool for justice-involved veterans.