The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) will award a total of $64,289 to five adult drug courts in the state on Thursday, Feb. 29. The funds aim to bolster resources in combating the opioid epidemic within the served communities.
The Independence, Cleburne, Stone, Izard, and Fulton County Adult Drug Courts will receive the funding during a ceremony at the Independence County District Court courtroom in Batesville that is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
According to a release from the AOC, the funds are part of a $1 million award to the AOC by the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office. The funds must be used to provide restorative services for drug court participants, including transitional and chemical-free housing, substance abuse and mental health services, peer support recovery services, childcare assistance, and educational services and programming.
“These funds will better equip the Adult Drug Courts in Independence, Cleburne, Stone, and Izard/Fulton Counties with the resources they need to address the ongoing opioid epidemic within their communities,” Arkansas State Supreme Court Chief Justice John Dan Kemp said in announcing the awards. “As a former drug court judge and as chair of the Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee, I understand that the state’s drug courts, and other specialty courts, play a critical role in addressing the cruel impact the opioid crisis is having in our communities.”
Also during Thursday’s presentation, AOC Director Marty Sullivan will deliver Naloxone kits for distribution to all courtrooms within the 16th Judicial District Circuit. Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses and is crucial for saving lives. Funding for the Naloxone kits came from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Given their close work with those suffering from opioid addiction, it is important that our courts and court personnel have a readily available supply of Naloxone on hand,” Sullivan said.
This initiative comes as Arkansas grapples with a rising number of overdose deaths. According to the Arkansas Department of Health, there were 487 overdose fatalities statewide in 2022, the most recent year with available data.
The Independence County District Court courtroom is located at 549 W. Main St., in Batesville.
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