The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet has awarded $15.7 million dollars to eight areas of program areas combating heroin and substance abuse.
The funding is for efforts in fiscal year 2017.
Justice Secretary John Tilley says Kentucky is facing a "public health crisis" and praised praised Governor Matt Bevin and state legislators for increasing funding anti-drug efforts. The two-year budget increased funding by $12 million over the biennium. The second year will allocate $16.3 million.
Funds will be distributed a range of programs including treatment for inmates at local jails, community drug abuse and social work efforts, 'rocket docket' prosecutions for cases involving controlled substances and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Breakdown of funds, per the news release:
- Department of Corrections will receive $1 million for substance abuse treatment programs for county inmates in local jails. Another $1 million for state inmates in local jails. And $1 million for a Naltrexone pilot program (medication that helps curb the desire for opioids).
- Community mental health centers will receive more than $4.3 million for local treatment.
- Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy will receive $2.75 for programs.
- Department of Public Advocacy will receive $1.75 to fund a social worker program, including developing alternative sentencing plans.
- Prosecutors Advisory Council will receive $1.2 million for "rocket docket" prosecutions in cases involving controlled substances. (This matches another $1 million from elsewhere in the budget).
- And $2.5 million for establishing programs related to neonatal abstinence syndrome, helping pregnant women with addiction.
Director of the Office of Drug Control Police Van Ingram says, "these funds will go a long way to improve access to treatment at the community level."
Ingram says applications are being reviewed and anticipates a detailed breakdown of where the funding will go will be announced in mid-August.
