Denton County accepts nearly $758,000 in state grants for specialty courts

DENTON — The Denton County Commissioners Court voted Nov. 18 to accept four state grants aimed at supporting specialty courts that provide treatment and supervision alternatives to incarceration.

The court approved $159,491 for the veterans specialty court, $213,046 for the Family Drug Treatment Court, $213,307 for the DWI treatment court and $172,087 for the mental health treatment court. County officials said the funds will pay for counseling, monitoring and other program costs for participants.

"This money will go directly to funding counseling, monitoring of the veterans while they're in the program, and other associated costs with their care while we work through this problem-solving court and treatment court program," the judge who presented the veterans-court request said when asking the court to accept the award.

Trace Remington, program manager and probation officer for the DWI treatment court, told the court the DWI program currently serves 28 people and said the grant will help ensure proper monitoring and services for those participants.

Commissioners praised the courts' role in rehabilitation and voted to accept each grant. All motions to accept the awards were made and approved unanimously.

The grants come through the Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division, and court members said the awards continue a multi-year pattern of state support for the county's specialty-court programs. The mental-health court request was presented on behalf of judges who could not attend; staff asked the court to accept funding so services can continue.

The court did not place additional conditions on the grants; administration and distribution will follow existing county grant-administration procedures. The court moved into routine business after approving the awards.