durham county, district 14, Adult Drug Treatment Court

201 East Main Street, Suite 278
Durham, North Carolina 27701

Purpose, Mission & Goals

The ultimate goal of Drug Treatment Court is to habilitate the client-offender, utilizing a community-based team approach that results in positive behaviors and contributions to the community and society. Additional benefits are outlined in the North Carolina Drug Treatment Court Act of 1995 (N.C.G.S. §7A-790 et seq.). Specifically, the 14th District Drug Treatment Court Program, also known as the Durham DTC Program, is modeled after the guidelines jointly established by the Administrative Office of the Courts and the State Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee. The mission of the 14th District Drug Treatment Court is to reduce alcohol and other drug dependencies among offenders by increasing their personal, familial, and community accountability. This mission is advanced by and through the following objectives:

1. To break the cycle of crime and drugs;
2. To reduce criminal recidivism;
3. To prevent jail overcrowding;
4. To reduce the negative impact of the court's caseload attributable to substance abuse;
5. To collaborate with community agencies.

Durham DTC Participant Eligibility

Possible candidates for participation in the Drug Treatment Court Program must be charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery, or charged with felony property crime, or misdemeanor drug and/or property crimes. Other probable conditions for consideration include defendants who are already on probation and their supervision can be modified, and defendants who are eligible for a community and /or intermediate sanction as specified in the State's Structured Sentencing Guidelines.

1. Eligible clients by offense can be charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and obtaining controlled substance by fraud or forgery, or who are charged with a felony property crime, and defendants with misdemeanor drug and property crimes, including Level 1 and 2 DWI defendants (pre-disposition), or
2. Defendants who are already on probation and their supervision can be modified to allow supervision in the program (post-disposition); and
3. Defendants who are eligible for a community and/or intermediate sanction within the State's Structured Sentencing Guidelines; and
4. Defendants with no convictions for violent felonies or trafficking or sale of a controlled substance; and
5. No habitual felons; and
6. Defendants who voluntarily enter the Program while acknowledging chemical dependency or a history of substance abuse and express a willingness to actively participate in the program; and
7. Defendants who were not in possession of a firearm at the time of arrest (except defendants charged with DWI); and
8. Defendants who have not previously participated in the program; and
9. Defendants who do not have substantial mental health problems that prohibit their productive participation in the DTC Phase Program; and
10. Defendants who are at least 18 years of age and whose primary residence is in Durham County.

The Court Process

Stopping the cycle of drugs and crime, the Durham DTC ...

• Is a post-sentencing court-supervised treatment program
• Operates at the District Court level providing and monitoring treatment
• Involves a Team of Experts, (i.e., judicial, criminal justice, treatment)

For additional information regarding Durham Adult Drug Treatment Court, please contact Cecelia Faucette, at 919-564-7210, ext. 3.