MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $582,287 grant to the state Department of Corrections for a program aimed at helping inmates overcome drug addictions.
The grant will enable drug counselors and program specialists to conduct a six-month program at seven prisons to assist inmates in breaking substance abuse habits. The volunteer program combines counseling, education and drug testing.
“Illegal drugs and illegally used prescription drugs are often the reason people commit the crimes that put them in prison,” Gov. Ivey said. “Breaking that link gives inmates a fighting chance of staying out of prison and turning their lives around once they are released.”
The grant funds for the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment course come from the U.S. Department of Justice and are administered in Alabama by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
“Gov. Ivey knows that one of the logical ways to reduce the state’s prison population is to reduce recidivism,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “This program is a step to address drug addiction which is a root cause of many crimes and why many inmates end up in the criminal justice system.”
Gov. Ivey notified John Hamm, commissioner of the state Department of Corrections, that the grant had been approved.
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
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