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| | | North Carolina's 42 Drug Courts Celebrate National Drug Court Month | | |  RALEIGH -- Gov. Bev Perdue has proclaimed May as Drug Treatment Court Month in North Carolina. The State has 42 drug treatment courts in 29 counties that will be celebrating as part of national recognition of their work. More than 500 men and women are expected to be among this year's graduates. The ceremony marks their completion of an intensive 12-month program of comprehensive drug treatment, close supervision and accountability.
"National Drug Court Month" is coordinated on a national level by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), which was established in 1994 to assist the planning, implementation and operation of Drug Courts. May's National Drug Court Month theme is "Celebrating Twenty Years of Drug Court: Restoring Lives, Reuniting families and Making Communities Safer." What started in a Florida court room 20 years ago has become the nation's most successful strategy for dealing with substance abusing offenders.
"Drug treatment court is an innovative and effective intervention," said Judge John Smith, director of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts. "These courts leverage the combined resources of the judiciary, probation, treatment, and child welfare systems to improve our state and communities by impacting the health and well being of individuals and families affected by addiction."
Like many of the 2,301 operational drug courts in the United States, the 42 Drug Courts throughout North Carolina hear cases of offenders charged with drug-related crimes. Drug Courts relieve already overwhelmed court dockets, placing offenders in an environment, where they undergo treatment and counseling, submit to frequent and random drug testing, make regular appearances before the judge and are monitored closely for program compliance. Graduated sanctions, including jail time, are imposed for noncompliance. Conversely, incentives are applied for continual compliance.
Here in North Carolina, more than 900 adult, juvenile and family members exited the Drug Treatment Court Program last year. Of these, 41 percent were employed, and 89 percent were parents who successfully completed Family Drug Treatment Court, regained custody of their child(ren) (a total of 70 children). In total they:
- Participated in 80,205 hours of treatment
- Participated in 50,705 community support meetings (such as AA/NA)
- Were drug tested 33,801 times with an average clean time of 270 days
A recent study by the U.S. Department of Justice found a cost / benefit of $3.36 for every $1.00 invested in treating drug-addicted offenders under the watchful eye of Drug Court. Drug courts significantly reduce drug abuse and crime and do so at less expense than any other justice strategy. This May, all across the nation, thousands of people are graduating Drug Court with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to serving their community.
About N.C. Drug Treatment Courts. North Carolina's drug treatment courts are managed by the judicial branch's Administrative Office of the Courts, and operated by judicial branch staff in county courthouses. For Governor Perdue's proclamation and a list of drug treatment courts in North Carolina, visit www.nccourts.org/dtc. | | | | Publish Date: 05/08/2009 |
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