Grants To Four Criminal Justice Programs

Last week Texas Gov. Rick Perry awarded $440,665 in grants to four programs that focus on reducing crime and improving the Texas criminal and juvenile justice systems. These grants are awarded under the State Criminal Justice Planning Fund and are distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD).

The awards include:

• $285,787 to Capital Area Council of Governments to provide basic, in-service, advanced, and specialized training courses to law enforcement officers in Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson counties.
  
  
• $26,316 to Ft. Bend County Child Advocates, Inc., to recruit and train volunteers to assist children who are transitioning out of the foster care system.
  
  
• $78,582 to Harris County Domestic Violence Coordination Council to provide supervision and coordination of program committees involved in the planning of services to victims of family violence in Harris County.
  
  
• $49,980 to The OneStar Foundation, Inc., to design and develop a statewide networking system that increases collaboration and partnership between faith-based organizations and regional councils of governments with an emphasis on criminal and juvenile justice programs.