The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has voted to seek grant funding to continue the county’s three specialty courts and to explore the possibility of creating a new one.
At a meeting this week, commissioners approved grant applications to support the Drug Treatment Court, the Mental Health Court, and the Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program. All grant applications are through the Michigan State Court Administrative Office.
The amount sought for the Drug Treatment Court is $59,000 with an in-kind match of $150,000. The grant for the Mental Health Court is $149,000 with a match of $53,000, and the grant sought for the Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program is $185,000 with a match of $11,000.
Finally, the county is seeking a grant of $30,000 with a match of $49,000 to explore the creation of a new Sobriety Court. It would handle individuals with more than one drunk driving conviction. This grant will enable the Berrien County Trial Court to plan for a Sobriety Court.
All of the specialty courts are intended to help the court system provide supervision and support to criminal defendants with underlying conditions that got them caught in the system.
