The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court accepted a $888,388 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice on Nov. 7 for the purpose of improving treatment services for nonviolent defendants in substance abuse cases.

The details

The Fort Bend County Community Court Enhancement Project, which is what will be funded by the grant, intends to expand access to “evidence-based supervision” and treatment services for defendants in the county’s three substance abuse and treatment dockets, including:

• Misdemeanor Treatment Court
• Felony Drug Court
• Expedited Narcotics Docket

According to a grant description, the program targets adults who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs and are at “substantial risk to reoffend or fail to complete less intensive dispositions” such as probation.

The court enhancement project will:

• Establish the Fort Bend Community Courts Advisory Group
• Address gaps in the continuum of care for defendants
• Implement a Continuous Quality Improvement program to address disparities and implement improvements

A county cash match of $296,129 will be made for a total budget of $1.2 million for the period of Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2027.