The lands of St. Mary's parish granted to fight against opioid abuse

The St. Mary's Drug Addiction Court has been awarded a federal grant of $ 500,000 to help combat opioid abuse.

The grant is part of a $ 320 million grant from the Department of Justice to fight the opioid crisis in the United States. In St. Mary's Parish, the $ 500,000 will be used to improve, develop or expand the services of drug courts. Grants are awarded to organizations in the Western District of Louisiana through the Office of Justice.

According to federal officials, drug treatment courts have been shown to reduce recidivism and substance abuse among high-risk, high-need participants and increase their chances of successful rehabilitation. These courts include evidence-based drug treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in jurisdictions under judicial control.

The press release included statistics:

In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives in drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths recorded in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. October marks two important events in the fight against drugs: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Day. Red Ribbon Week is held annually from October 23 to 31, and encourages students, parents, schools and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. As part of the National Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Day, on October 27, Americans have the opportunity to prevent overdose deaths and addictions before they occur. Since April 2017, the Department of Justice has extended the DEA drug recall days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs.

The approximately $ 320 million is distributed as follows:

• Innovative Prosecution Solutions to Address Violent Crime and Opioid Abuse ($ 2.8 Million) assist prosecutors in developing strategies to combat violent crime caused by the distribution and abuse of illegal opioids.
• Comprehensive on-site program based on opioid abuse ($ 162 million) assist jurisdictions in planning and implementing programs to reduce opioid abuse and mitigate its impact on victims of crime, including through training and training Technical assistance.
• Justice and Mental Health Collaborative Program ($ 5.9 million) at to address the treatment needs of people who use opioids as part of the Justice and Mental Health Collaborative Program.
• Helping children and youth affected by opioids ($ 46.6 million) assist children and youth affected by the opioid crisis, including training and technical assistance.
• Drug course ($ 81.2 million) assisting adult, minor and family drug treatment courts and veterans' treatment tribunals, including training and technical assistance.
• Justice Coverage Enhancement Grants Program Paul Coverdell ($ 17 million) cope with the dramatic increase in the number of deaths and backlog of drugs seized due to the opioid crisis.
• Opioid research for criminal justice purposes ($ 4.1 million) develop new tools to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime and ensure a fair and impartial administration of justice.