U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur announced awards of $622,883 in Department of Justice grants to the Maryland Office of the Public Defender to support juvenile justice initiatives to reduce crime and recidivism associated with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
“These grant funds will assist youth offenders with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Hopefully, linking these juveniles with treatment will prevent them from re-offending.”
“More and more people with mental illness are coming into contact with the criminal justice system, straining law enforcement resources and placing exceptional demands on our jails and prisons,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “By supporting partnerships between justice system professionals and treatment providers, we are making substantial investments in addressing the link between mental health and public safety.”
Provided through the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, the funding supports efforts that establish collaborative anti-recidivism comprehensive care before, during and after incarceration for persons with serious mental illness. The funding also supports training and technical assistance to law enforcement, other criminal justice agencies and their partner mental health and substance abuse authorities to improve outcomes for youth with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
The following organization in Maryland received funding:
- The Maryland Office of the Public Defender will receive $622,883 from the Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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
