From the Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson

MATHESON NEWS
Second Congressional District

For Further Information
Alyson Heyrend: (801) 455-5593 (cell)
www.house.gov/matheson

September 12, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grand County Awarded Drug Court Grant

Washington DC-Congressman Jim Matheson announced today that Grand County has been awarded a $448,320 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to implement an adult drug court program.

The funding was requested by Grand County Attorney Happy Morgan.

Offenders eligible for the drug court program are those who have been arrested for a drug or alcohol related crime and may include non-drug offenses, first time offenders with a history of addiction, forged prescriptions and those arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

"Drug courts are an effective tool for local officials who are dealing with the overwhelming impact of drug abuse in towns throughout Utah," said Matheson.

Studies show that while jailing drug offenders costs between $20,000- $50,000 per person, per year, use of the drug court system typically costs between $2,500 and $4,000 annually per offender. Evaluations from Oregon and Texas have shown that for every dollar invested in drug court, ten dollars are saved by corrections.

#  #  #

Alyson Heyrend
Communications Director
240 East Morris Ave. #235
South Salt Lake, UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 (phone)
(801) 455-5593 (cell)
(801) 486-1417 (fax)