The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling more than $340 million to help combat America’s substance use crisis amid a continued escalation of overdose deaths.
Opioids — particularly synthetic drugs like fentanyl — were primarily responsible for the deaths of more than 107,000 people in 2021. In its 2022 National Drug Control Strategy, the Biden-Harris Administration outlined a comprehensive strategy for addressing the crisis, guided by one fundamental principle: saving lives. In addition to the devastating human toll, the epidemic drains the economy of more than a trillion dollars in a given year and accounts for billions of dollars in criminal justice spending annually. OJP’s investments in drug and treatment courts, residential treatment programs, prevention and harm reduction services, recovery supports, services for opioid-affected youth and community-based strategies that improve continuity of care and align treatment and public safety are designed to more appropriately meet the treatment and recovery needs of individuals without unnecessarily extending justice system involvement and perpetuating longstanding inequities.