Middle District of Georgia | The Middle District of Georgia will receive over $6.4 million in public safety grants

Macon, Ga. – U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary today announced that the Department of Justice is providing more than $6.4 million to support public safety and community justice activities in the Middle District of Georgia. Grants from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will help build community capacity to reduce violence, assist victims and youth, improve behavioral health interventions, increase officer safety, and support evidence-based juvenile justice strategies.

“These grants address many of our citizens’ greatest concerns today, which boil down to making communities safer for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Leary. “This type of support for the efforts of our community and law enforcement partners goes hand-in-hand with our targeted efforts to reduce violence and hold the most violent offenders accountable.”

For the Middle District of Georgia, 15 grants were announced for local community, civic, government and law enforcement groups in the cities of Albany, Americus, Athens, Butler, Columbus, Macon, Thomasville, Tifton and Warner Robins, including, but not limited to:

• The Area Committee to Improve Opportunities Now, Inc., based in Athens, received $784,194 to support its 36-county program that provides employment coaching and mentoring to young people before and after their release from the criminal justice system.
• This WORKS, Inc., in partnership with the Dougherty County School System in Albany, received a $999,524 grant to provide a school-wide behavioral health program, including anti-violence education.
• The Muscogee County School District in Columbus received a $998,567 grant to support its efforts to prevent group-based retaliatory violence through programs to support educators and law enforcement.
• Columbus received $119,951 to purchase items to support its law enforcement agencies, including four ballistic vests, 64 stab-resistant vests for prison personnel, two K-9 units and a community-wide early warning smartphone app for emergency notification.
• Macon-Bibb received $385,000 to expand its domestic violence unit to include an additional investigator and prosecutor.
• The Taylor County School District in Butler received $999,952 to improve school safety and improve students’ access to mental health care.
• Thomasville received $437,185 to establish a law enforcement and mental health co-responder program to respond to community crises in real time.

Georgia received 89 awards totaling $148 million. For more information about the awards announced today, visit www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.

“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Department of Justice is not only continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, but is also leveraging all available resources to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners across the country. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support victims of crime, promote the safety and well-being of officers, increase public trust in law enforcement, which is essential to public safety, and help all of our communities to make it safer.”

The more than 3,700 OJP grants awarded this fiscal year will support state, local and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime and recidivism while providing treatment and services to those at risk of justice system involvement are exposed. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice and behavioral health professionals, help people transition safely and successfully from incarceration back into their communities, reach victims of crime in underserved areas, keep young people out of contact with the justice system, manage sex offenders and to improve support for a broad range of research and statistical activities that help justice system professionals address community safety challenges.

“Across the country, the Department of Justice is working side by side with our state and local law enforcement partners to combat violent crime by leveraging our federal resources to augment their work on the front lines,” said Assistant Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Billions of dollars in grants announced today will strengthen these efforts and law enforcement tools to reduce violence, combat deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust.” Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to “To protect the communities we all serve.”

“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, tribal courts, improved victim services, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today underscore our commitment to working with our state, tribal and local partners to increase public safety, build trust between police and the community, and ensure safe, healthy and equitable communities for all.”

“Every sector of our society – not just the justice system, but also nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders and advocates, and people with life experience who serve as credible messengers – plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and health. said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these significant investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”

The grants will support five key community safety and justice priorities:

• Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and trust, helping communities combat the spread of gun violence in America and restore trust between community residents and the justice system. The grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing and reducing violent crime, supporting the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promoting rehabilitation and reentry success, and reducing the rise in hate crimes across the country fight.
• More than $437 million in grants will accelerate justice system reform to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services for historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and create pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
• Over $192 million will improve the equity and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are cared for at home in their communities wherever possible, equipped to transition to healthy adult lives free of crime and protected from violence and abuse.
• More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide victims with trauma-informed and culturally responsive services. Funds will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, helping these programs expand their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
• More than $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the knowledge base that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and implement effective community safety strategies. The awards will support research and data collection on a broad range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal records, and improve the ability of crime laboratories and forensic analysts to solve crimes, acquit the innocent, and bring justice to victims .

Additionally, OJP will provide more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending.