WASHINGTON ― The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling more than $340 million to help combat America’s substance use crisis amid a continued escalation of overdose deaths.
Opioids-particularly synthetic drugs like fentanyl-were primarily responsible for the deaths of more than 107,000 people in 2021. In its, the Biden-Harris Administration outlined a comprehensive strategy for addressing the crisis, guided by one fundamental principle: saving lives. In addition to the devastating human toll, the epidemic drains the economy of more than a trillion dollars in a given year and accounts for billions of dollars in criminal justice spending annually. OJP’s investments in drug and treatment courts, residential treatment programs, prevention and harm reduction services, recovery supports, services for opioid-affected youth, and community-based strategies that improve continuity of care and align treatment and public safety are designed to more appropriately meet the treatment and recovery needs of individuals without unnecessarily extending justice system involvement and perpetuating longstanding inequities.
“Opioids and other licit and illicit substances continue to take a massive toll on our society, claiming far too many lives, tearing families apart and laying a disproportionately heavy burden on historically marginalized communities," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “It is in all our interests to ensure that those affected by this crisis have access to the support and treatment that they need in order to live productive and fulfilling lives. In making these awards, the Department of Justice is demonstrating its unqualified commitment to making prevention, treatment and recovery part of a unified response to ensure public safety and advance the overall health of our communities."
“For too long, our justice system has been expected to absorb many of the unaddressed societal and behavioral health challenges and inequities laid bare by the ongoing and escalating substance use crisis," said Karhlton F. Moore, Director of OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). “The resources we are making available today will enable us to address the fundamental issues underlying this epidemic and help contribute to communities that are safe, healthy and supportive."
BJA and OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) are distributing millions of dollars in grant awards aimed at addressing prevention, treatment and recovery support service needs for individuals with substance use disorders. OJP’s National Institute of Justice is also supporting research and evaluation of veterans treatment courts. In addition to these grants, OJP is awarding $44 million to help communities respond to public safety and public health emergencies, including crises that result from substance use disorders. Funding will also help support youth and their families affected by the opioid and polysubstance use epidemic.
“The opioid crisis has had a profoundly negative-in many cases, devastating-impact on the young people of this country, separating them from family and community support networks and putting them at high risk of substance misuse or substance use disorder, justice system involvement and self-harm," said OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan. “We are eager to get young people the help they so desperately need so that they can reclaim the hope of a bright future."
Below is a list of awards made in Fiscal Year 2022 to address the opioid and stimulant crisis and meet the needs of individuals with substance use disorders. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clinking on the links.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
