Wes Hickman (202 224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864 250-1417)

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Marlboro County will receive a $149,998 grant to improve the ability of the criminal justice system to deal with individuals suffering from mental disabilities or illnesses. The funds will be used to support a collaborative effort between the Marlboro County Probate Court and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health to identify, assess, and offer psychiatric treatment and follow-up to mentally ill individuals who find themselves in the criminal justice system as a result of their illness. “This is an important issue for South Carolina,” said Graham, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Corrections, and Victims’ Rights. “We must make every effort to provide the necessary treatment for these individuals in order to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders.” The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice. ####