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Hillsborough County Court Not Awarded Drug Court Grant, Wins HOPE Grant

Michael Flanagan/Flickr CC

The Bureau of Justice Administration has approved funding for a new drug court in Nashua, but has rejected a grant for the same program in Manchester.

Hillsborough County Superior Court had applied for two three-year, $325,000 grants.

Each would have funded drug courts in the state’s two largest cities, but, earlier this month, only Nashua’s was approved.

Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge Ken Brown says while he’s disappointed, the Manchester court did receive funding for a similar program called Project HOPE.

He says similar to drug courts, it seeks to reduce recidivism by bringing swift sanctions to reoffenders.

“If there’s a bump in the road, that sanction occurs very, very quickly so that that it’s meaningful when it’s dealt.”

Drug courts currently operate in Rockingham, Grafton, Cheshire, Strafford and Belknap counties. They allow nonviolent offenders to enter treatment programs and avoid jail time.

Brown says the court will reapply for a drug court grant next year.

Before becoming a reporter for NHPR, Ryan devoted many months interning with The Exchange team, helping to produce their daily talk show. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Manchester with a major in Politics and Society and a minor in Communication Arts. While in school, he also interned for a DC-based think tank. His interests include science fiction and international relations. Ryan is a life-long Manchester resident.
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