Community corrections and courts receive grant funding

St. Joseph County Community Corrections and 45th Circuit Court were recently awarded a combined amount of more than $450,000 in grant funding to support critical, problem-solving courts and community corrections programs.

Melissa Bliss, community corrections director, said the grants were provided by the State Court Administrative Office and Michigan Department of Corrections.

Funds will enable the courts and community corrections to offer enhanced services designed to reduce recidivism, improve public safety and provide participants with meaningful rehabilitation opportunities, she said.

The awards are: $130,000 to 45th Circuit Court Adult Drug Treatment Court through the Michigan Drug Court Grant Program; $180,000 to Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation program at 45th Circuit Court; $16,000 to district court DWI Sobriety Court to provide targeted intervention for individuals charged with driving while intoxicated; and nearly $133,000 to St. Joseph County Community Corrections to support local programs that reduce prison admissions.

Bliss said the grants are essential in helping the county offer comprehensive supervision and treatment programs that benefit individuals and the community.