Additional Funds (for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services) for the FY 2003 Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative

The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Discretionary Grant Program (Reentry) was developed through a federal partnership by the Departments of Justice, Labor, Health and Human Service, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture. The federal partners' goal is to help state and local agencies navigate the complex field of existing state formula and block grants and to assist them in accessing, redeploying and leveraging those resources to support the components of a comprehensive reentry program. In addition to the new funding, the
federal partners are identifying funds from their respective agencies that are already available to state and local agencies to provide the necessary services to implement a reentry program. The Reentry Program is designed to provide funding to state and local units of government to develop and implement institutional and community corrections-based offender reentry programs through collaborative partnerships with government, social service, faith-based, and community organizations, in order to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and successfully reintegrate serious and violent offenders back into the community. Reentry programs are required to partner with a state adult or juvenile correctional agency.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Juvenile Justice will utilize this supplemental funding to enhance substance abuse treatment and mental health services for youth returning to their communities of Southwest Alaska following a period of confinement. The youth who reside in the 19-bed, co-educational bethel Youth Facility have significant substance abuse and mental health needs. Because of overcrowding and the limited treatment services available in Bethel, youth ometimes are transported to the larger facilities in Anchorage or Fairbanks for their treatment, making successful transition back to their communities and family preparation particularly challenging. This funding will enable Alaska to build capacity that will result in better management of these youth and their mental health and substance abuse needs.

CA/NCF