Carbon County has been awarded $250,000 to help its drug treatment court serve more people moving through the criminal justice system who have an addiction problem.

Last week, the board of commissioners approved the grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for the 2024-2025 Justice Assistance Grant Local Initiatives funding. The two-year grant will allow the courts to hire a certified recovery specialist, as well as a part-time sentencing guideline technician. It also would help the program focus on the utilization of evidence-based decision making during bail and sentencing decisions; and for the improvement and expansion of the drug treatment court program.

Commissioner Mike Sofranko commended everyone involved, including Tammy Recker, a drug court coordinator who helped with the application; and grants coordinator Valerie Saveri.

He noted that Carbon County used to receive only about $50,000 through the grant.

“It’s going to be able to increase the number of participants and enhance the drug treatment court,” Sofranko said.

Carbon County applied for this grant on March 28, 2024.

At the time, Recker, who was representing Judge Joseph Matika’s office, called the grant application “a step in the right direction.”

In other drug treatment court matters, the county also approved a cost reimbursement subaward agreement with the University of Pittsburgh for a partnership with the court program. The subaward total cost is not to exceed $193,013 and will create a partnership with the drug treatment court to “evaluate, implement and provide technical assistance through Sept. 30, 2026.

Carbon County has two specialty courts — veterans treatment court and drug treatment court — to help people with drug and alcohol addictions, as well as mental health problems get the treatment they need while fulfilling their requirements in the court system. This option allow for a person to get treatment rather than serve a prison sentence for their crime.

Carbon County’s veteran treatment court began in 2017; while drug treatment court began in 2019.