Thurman made the award possible by urging her colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to recommend the funding. The U.S. Department of Justice almost always abides by the committee's wishes. The funding will allow the city to pay for staff and purchase the equipment necessary to expand the hours of the regional juvenile assessment center in Gainesville.
City officials say they are very grateful for the funding.
The center has to do with law enforcement's ability to deal with juveniles. We will use the funds to run the facility around the clock, seven days a week. Thurman says she is pleased her advocacy on behalf of her district paid off. Every year there seems to be more and more funding requests coming before Congress. The competition for federal dollars is increasingly tough.