Palm Beach County Wins Grant For Jail System
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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — Palm Beach County has won funding to find ways to reduce the amount of people unnecessarily in jail.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced grants this week of $150,000 to each of the winners.
More than 200 jurisdictions applied for the funding. Palm Beach County was the only winner in Florida.
MacArthur President Julia Stasch says the money comes from $75 million the Chicago-based charitable group has pledged to give over five years to bring more fairness to the criminal justice system.
About 12 million people annually pass through roughly 3,000 jails nationwide. Many are nonviolent offenders, mentally ill and people who can't afford bail.
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