Source: United States Department of Justice News
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, today announced a $483,552 Department of Justice grant to the Kittitas County Sherriff’s Office. The grant provides funding to address mental health needs at the Kittitas County Jail.
The grant, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, was awarded on September 28, 2022. Funding is being made available pursuant to the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which distributes resources to assist individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders that come into contact with the justice system. JMHCP provides federal funding to achieve the following goals:
1. Enhance, expand, and operate mental health drop-off crisis stabilization treatment centers providing 24/7, year-round support for law enforcement, criminal justice agencies, and people who come in contact with the justice system;
2. Increase community workforce and capacity for certified mental health peer support specialists and increase the availability of wraparound services for supporting people with mental health disorders and co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders; and
3. Build and expand existing mental health collaboration programs across people and places in any part of the criminal justice system – e.g., jails, courts, and prosecutors’ offices – to mitigate the risks of recidivism for individuals with mental health and co-occurring substance abuse disorders.
The award to Kittitas County is intended to address increasing mental health needs at the Kittitas County Jail, which is located in Ellensburg, Washington. Funding will be used to hire additional staff with expertise in treating mental health disorders, to add additional training in this area for existing staff, and to provide additional resources to inmates who suffer from mental health and co-occurring substance abuse disorders. By devoting additional resources to addressing mental health needs, Kittitas County is seeking to decrease the likelihood of recidivism when inmates are released from custody.
In announcing the award, U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “The United States Justice Department is committed to helping people that suffer from mental health challenges, who come in contact with the criminal justice system.” She continued, “The nearly $500,000 award will help ensure that inmates in Kittitas County have additional resources to get their lives on track and address what – in certain cases – is the root cause of their criminal behavior. To keep Eastern Washington safe and strong, we need to recognize and treat mental health disorders so that those who reenter our communities have the resources they need to become productive citizens.”
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers the JMHCP. BJA was created in 1984 to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform aspects of our criminal justice system. BJA works with communities, governments, and nonprofit organizations to reduce crime, recidivism, unnecessary confinement, and promote a safe and fair criminal justice system. More information about BJA is available at https://bja.ojp.gov/about. Information specific to JMHCP is available at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/justice-and-mental-health-collaboration-program-jmhcp/overview.
Additional information about grants and funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs is available at https://www.ojp.gov/.