Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today highlighted Department of Justice grants awarded to Seattle and King County to assist with issues of opioid abuse and reentry to the community for those involved in the criminal justice system. The three awards total more than $4 million.
“More and more, opioid addiction impacts our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. And anyone walking in our city today sees the harm of opioid addiction in those who live on our streets with little hope of a better life,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “These grant funds from the Justice Department are for locally designed programs to help with the addiction crisis.”
The largest grant is to the city of Seattle — $1,597,836 — for a program that will provide transitional housing and other services to women who have substance use disorder and are transitioning out of jails and prisons. The Seattle Police Department will work with the Department of Corrections and case managers to address the multiple needs of women reentering the community.
King County is awarded $1,586,310 to support the creation of an Overdose Fatality Review process in King County that can serve as a community-based rapid response network to develop strategies for the treatment and prevention of overdose. The grant will help fund naloxone kits for law enforcement and first responders. Grant funds will also be used to help establish networks to provide education and information about emerging drug trends.
King County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention also received $842,851 to improve educational opportunities in the correctional setting. The funding is aimed at enhancing educational services at the county corrections facilities by using technology and programs tailored to the inmates’ language and educational level.
All three grants are from DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.