(Washington, D.C.)–Today, Rep. Jim Langevin (RI-02) announced that Rhode Island has been awarded nearly $800,000 in three separate grants from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals will receive $350,000 under the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Block Grant Program. In addition, the Rhode Island Justice Commission has been awarded $333,300 under the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program and $100,000 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

“This funding will enhance Rhode Island’s efforts to combat underage drinking, improve our juvenile justice infrastructure and help our youth stay out of the juvenile justice system in the first place,” said Congressman Langevin. “Reaching teens who may be at risk for delinquent behavior is a critical goal for our communities, one that this federal assistance can help us reach more effectively.”

According to the Department of Justice, the goal of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program is to support and enhance state efforts, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, or the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors.

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) Program provides states and local governments with funds to develop programs to strengthen the juvenile justice system. JABG funds are awarded to each state based on the state’s relative population of youth under age 18.

Finally, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awards funding under the Community Prevention Grants program. This program focuses on reducing risks and enhancing protective factors to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system. It offers a funding incentive to encourage community leaders to initiate multi-disciplinary assessments of risks and resources unique to their communities and to develop comprehensive plans to prevent delinquency.

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