NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Officials say a $2 million grant has been given to New Orleans to help reduce the number of people held in the city's jails.

The New Orleans Advocate reported Sunday that the MacArthur Foundation will give the city the money over the next two years to support a variety of initiatives meant to reduce its jail population. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration hopes to reduce the number of inmates by 200 in 2020.

The city's criminal justice commissioner, Tenisha Stevens, says they're confident they can reach that goal of less than 1,000 inmates in jails next year. New Orleans jails were holding more than 3,300 people in 2010. On Friday, the total population was 1,191 inmates.