In a January 30, 2020, press release, the Office of Justice Programs announced the launch of the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Initiative. As part of this initiative, twenty-one rural American communities will receive $14.8 million in funding to develop tailored and innovative responses to gaps in prevention, treatment and/or recovery services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
Co-funded by BJA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State Justice Institute, the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Initiative will integrate public safety and public health approaches and blend interagency expertise and funding to address the epidemic. The initiative is the latest demonstration project supported by BJA’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, which supports effective local, state and tribal responses to the opioid epidemic.
Learn more about this initiative and the sites selected in the OJP press release.