Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin dedicates 1,000,000 USD in funding drug treatment programs through the state’s special court system. As Little Rock Public Radio’s Daniel Breen reports, Griffin says special courts are meant to provide an alternative to prison. “The goal is to get these people into treatment because it says that their challenge, their mental health challenges, addictions, whatever, that’s the core of their problem. And if we can address that, we’re more likely to get them back on track and flourish in society.”
Griffin says this approach ensures the money follows those who need help the most and will be used to provide essential services such as transitional housing for participants, mental health treatment and addiction recovery, community mentors and peer recovery support services and transportation assistance. Griffin explains, “Providing these resources to our specialty courts will better equip them and increase the number of lives that are transformed.”

Judge Candice Settle, Circuit Court Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit, issued the following statement in support of the program:
“As a Circuit Court judge with a special court, I am grateful for the generous allocation of funds by the Attorney General. Arkansans suffering from addiction throughout the state will greatly benefit from these funds. Thank you to Attorney General Griffin for these resources that make it possible for our court and others to give people an opportunity to change the direction of their lives.”
And Marty Sullivan, director of the Arkansas Administrative Office of Courts, also issued the following statement
“First and foremost, on behalf of our state’s special judges – who operate more than 100 treatment courts around the state – I want to thank Attorney General Tim Griffin for his support. The awarding of this grant is not just a financial gesture; it is a testament to the shared Believing that restorative justice can change lives, entire families, and uplift entire communities, these courts provide a second chance to individuals who have fallen on hard times. Through evidence-based interventions, comprehensive treatment, and accountability, our specialty judges and their treatment teams make a lasting difference in Arkansas life.”
The grant comes from the state’s portion of opioid settlement funds, which are managed by the attorney general’s office.