Durham County Receives $749K Federal Grant For Improving Reentry For Adults
Durham, NC – Durham County’s Criminal Justice Resource Center will receive a $749,771 grant for Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced October 1st. This three-year program from the DOJ, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Second Chance Act aims to provide standardized screening and assessment; collaborative comprehensive case management; and pre- and post-release programming that address criminogenic risk and needs, including mental illness and substance abuse.
The Durham County Integrated Reentry Program for adults with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illnesses will use the funds toward its goal of reducing rates of recidivism by enhancing the existing jail- and community-based reentry supports through integrated mental health and substance use assessment, treatment and case planning before and after release from the Durham County Detention Facility. The program aligns with the County’s Strategic Plan Goal 3: Safe Community under the Criminal Justice Services objective that aims to improve life outcomes for people involved in the criminal justice system. Funds from the first year of the grant will go toward planning and development, with years 2 and 3 targeted for implementation.
A total of $9 million was made available by the BJA for state and local government agencies, and Indian tribes looking to implement or expand systems approaches to improve outcomes for adults with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness who are reentering communities following incarceration.
“In the past few years, Durham County Government and community partners have focused on improving services for individuals with mental illness in the detention facility,” said Criminal Justice Resource Center Director Gudrun Parmer. “This grant will allow us to further build on and better link existing mental health and substance use disorder services inside the jail and in the community. ”
For more information about this grant, contact Gudrun Parmer at gparmer@dconc.gov or CJRC Assistant Director Roshanna Parker at rparker@dconc.gov.
About Criminal Justice Resource Center
The Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC) provides a variety of services for persons along the criminal justice system continuum. CJRC offers rehabilitation, treatment and support services for those on probation and post release supervision. Additionally, CJRC provides substance use disorder and mental health services for inmates in the Durham County Detention Center.
For more information on services available go to the CJRC webpage.