HARTFORD – The Connecticut delegation and Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that over 20 Connecticut communities have been awarded grants by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to prevent youth substance use and be used to support Connecticut’s Second Chance-related initiatives.

These grants, totaling $2.7 million, will provide local community coalitions with substance use prevention funding and will support the state’s efforts to reduce crime, improve public safety, and end the school-to-prison pipeline that has had a detrimental effect on Connecticut communities for a generation.

“This funding supports all of the great work Connecticut has done to protect our young people and will help support vital community partnerships to curb youth substance abuse, beginning with the root causes that increase the risk of addiction and abuse,” the members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation said in a joint statement. “We’d like to thank the White House for this support and are committed to continuing to advocate for additional support and services to keep our kids on the right track.”

“When we were investing in permanent punishment, we should have been investing in permanent reform. When we were building modern jails, we should have been building modern schools. With Second Chance, we’ve transformed our direction so that we can end a cycle of crime that mires so many communities. Substance use and addiction are a disease and a crisis – and we should do everything possible to prevent addiction and treat people. It lowers crime, improves job creation, and it’s simply the right thing to do,” Governor Malloy said. “These grants will support the work that the state is doing at a local level and will strengthen our efforts to create a true Second Chance Society here in Connecticut.”

“These are important investments in our young people, our communities, and the very future of our state,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said. “Strong partnerships are key to keeping our young people healthy and drug-free, to protecting their potential as citizens and as leaders. I applaud Governor Malloy’s commitment to our young people, and the many advocates and allies whose work is building a stronger state.”

These Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants will help strengthen collaboration among communities, local, state, and non-profit agencies to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and, thus, prevent crime. The long-term goal of the grant program is to reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing community factors that increase the risk of substance abuse and promote the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

The work of the 20 recipient communities will proceed in tandem with Governor Malloy’s Second Chance Society initiative. With a direct correlation between substance abuse and crime, Governor Malloy’s initiative includes funding for job-training, supportive housing for ex-offenders including those with substance abuse disorders, and programs in schools that interrupt the school to prison pipeline. The partnerships that these DFC grants strengthen locally mirror the partnerships that Second Chance creates between law enforcement, education, behavioral health, the faith community and numerous other partners to prevent crime and support those in need of a second chance.

DFC program funds will go towards community coalitions that have formed to address youth substance use. They will fund community-based coalitions in order to support their day to day operations.

The grant recipients are as follows:

• Andover/Hebron/Marlborough: $125,000 – Andover, Hebron, Marlborough Youth and Family Services, Andover/Hebron/Marlborough Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force
• Bethel: $125,000 – Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse, Inc.
• Bridgeport: $125,000 – GBAPP, Inc., Bridgeport United Coalition
• Durham/Middlefield: $125,000 – Durham/Middlefield Youth and Family Services, Durham/Middlefield DFC
• East Haddam: $125,000 – East Haddam Youth & Family Services, East Haddam Local Prevention Council
• Enfield: $125,000 – Town of Enfield
• Guilford: $125,000 – Town of Guilford, The Assets Steering Committee
• Hamden: $125,000 – Consultation Center, Inc., Hamden Positive Choices Coalition
• Ledyard: $125,000 – Ledge Light Health District, Ledyard Safe Teens Coalition
• Madison: $125,000 – Town of Madison, Madison Alcohol & Drug Education Coalition
• Meriden: $125,000 – Rushford Center, Meriden Healthy Youth Coalition
• Milford: $125,000 – Bridges, A Community Support System, Inc., Milford Prevention Council Coalition
• New London: $125,000 – City of New London, New London Community & Campus Coalition
• Norwich: $125,000 – Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc.
• Plymouth: $125,000 – Plymouth Board of Education, Plymouth Local Prevention Council
• Putnam: $200,000 – Town of Putnam, Putnam Reduction in Drugs for Everyone (PRIDE)
• Southington: $125,000 – Southington Board of Education, Southington’s Town Wide Effort to Promote Success Coalition
• Stratford: $125,000 – Town of Stratford, Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Group
• Trumbull: $125,000 – Town of Trumbull, Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking
• Windham: $125,000 – Town of Windham, Windham Substance Abuse Task Force
• Wolcott: $125,000 – Wolcott Board of Education, Wolcott Citizens Against Substance Abuse