U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Audit Report

Office of Justice Programs

Grant for the Jefferson County, Kentucky,

Drug Court Improvement and Enhancement Initiative

Grant No. 95-DC-MX-0054

GR-40-98-020

September 1998

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of grant number 95-DC-MX-0054, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to the Jefferson County, Kentucky, Fiscal Court (Jefferson County). The OJP awarded Jefferson County $204,211 to expand and enhance the existing Jefferson County Drug Court and Diversion Project. The purpose of the expansion was to alleviate cocaine addiction among the felony offender population and to utilize the criminal justice system as a gateway to treatment.

The original grant period was September 15, 1995, through March 31, 1997.   However, the OJP approved three requests to extend the grant period, which now ends on August 31, 1998. The purpose of the grant is to upgrade the services to offenders to increase the likelihood of successful participant rehabilitation, thereby reducing further criminal activity and reliance on the state correctional system or local jails.

In brief, Jefferson County did not submit semiannual Progress Reports and accurate and timely Financial Status Reports (FSRs) to the OJP. Also, Jefferson County did not report program income on the FSRs.

This item is discussed in detail in the Findings and Recommendations section of the report. Our Scope and Methodology appear in the Appendix.

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