CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire has been awarded more than $300,000 to reduce crime and recidivism among defendants who have mental health issues, the U.S. attorney’s office announced.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray said the $326,150 Department of Justice grant will go to Carroll County to support adult and juvenile justice initiatives. The programs aim to provide care before, during and after incarceration for those with serious mental illness. The funding also goes to support training to law enforcement and their partner mental health and substance abuse authorities with a goal of improving the outcomes of mental ill defendants.

By addressing mental health issues, Murray said the hope is that “we can reduce recurring contacts with police, decrease incarceration levels and promote public safety.”

“More and more people with mental illness are coming into contact with the criminal justice system, straining law enforcement resources and placing exceptional demands on our jails and prisons,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine Sullivan said in a statement. “By supporting partnerships between justice system professionals and treatment providers, we are making substantial investments in addressing the link between mental health and public safety.”

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