Explained
The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers grants for local governments to fund programs or other intervention initiatives that prevent juvenile delinquency.
Williamson County is seeking two OJJDP grants:
- $633,555 for mentoring youth affected by substance use
- $815,804 to support youth exposed to violence
These grants do not require any county matching or additional employees, Judge Ryan Larson, of the 395th district court in Williamson County, said at the Oct. 14 meeting.
What they’re saying
“We are at the front line of seeing some of the major societal issues like domestic violence, substance abuse disorder [and] mental health disorders, and we are doing our best in order to address those issues so that we can remediate the problems that come before us,” Larson said.
Digging deeper
Larson said the grant funds will allow community members and organizations to decide how to address problems that at-risk youth face in the county.
Because the grants do not require additional employees, volunteers through nonprofits or faith-based organizations can participate in the programs, District Courts Director August Alvarado said.
“Our goal has been to turn the pipe down and try to help, especially the youth, not enter our judicial system at all,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said at the meeting.
What’s next
The deadline for both grants is late October, and the OJJDP will notify awardees by December, Alvarado said. The county would receive the funding in January, if selected.
