Bredesen Announces Grant for Hamilton Drug Court
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 | 07:42am
NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen today announced that the Hamilton County Drug Court will receive a federal grant of $143,096 to establish an Adult Treatment Drug Court. The funds are awarded through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which supports a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on local needs.
“This grant will be used to establish a program for non-violent offenders whose substance abuse is related to their criminal activity,” said Bredesen. “I’m pleased to see the federal government provided funds to support this program, which will include screening and assessment, counseling and focused vocational, educational and employment services.”
Byrne grants are awarded to states and local governments through the U.S. Department of Justice to help local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems. The program provides agencies with the flexibility to prioritize and place justice funds where they need them most.
Thanks to Byrne funding in 2007, Tennessee was able to provide correctional programming to approximately 800 offenders in a variety of projects, with resulting recidivism rates well below the national average in all projects. Additionally, victim and witness coordinators in 13 judicial districts provided victim assistance in filing warrants, learning how the criminal justice system works, and obtaining restitution.