NADCP’s theme this year is 'Drug Courts: A Proven Budget Solution'
A highlight of National Drug Court Month, All Rise America! NADCP’s coast to coast road trip visiting Drug Courts, will kick off in California on Apr 29, stopping in Santa Maria and Victorville, and end in New York City on May 31.
Drug Courts are specially designed court calendars that provide an alternative to traditional criminal justice prosecution for non violent drug-related offenses. These courts combine close judicial oversight and monitoring with probation supervision and substance abuse treatment services.
The goals of these programs are
1. reduce recidivism and substance abuse among substance
abusing offenders and
2. increase the offender's likelihood of successful rehabilitation.
Using collaborative court principles (California's Collaborative Justice Courts, pg. 14), drug courts serve as a catalyst to modify traditional treatment-delivery systems to design more effective interventions for addressing problems of addiction and recidivism.
Adult drug courts provide access to treatment for substance-abusing offenders in criminal, dependency, and family courts while minimizing the use of incarceration. They provide a structure for linking supervision and treatment with ongoing judicial oversight and team management.
The Judicial Council adopted California Rule of Court Standard 4.10 of the California Standards of Judicial Administration, Guidelines for Diversion Drug Court Programs, effective January 1, 1998, which provides clarification specifically for pre-plea diversion drug courts under Penal Code section 1000.5. (A pre-plea diversion program allows criminal proceedings to be suspended while the defendant participates in a program involving counseling, drug testing, education, or other requirements. If the defendant successfully completes the program, the criminal charges may be dismissed.)
In addition to these minimum standards, courts are encouraged to look to the nationally accepted guidelines developed by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) Defining Drug Courts: The Key Components, which elaborate on drug courts' purpose and performance measurements.
California Drug Court Roster
For a copy of the directory or for more information, email: CollaborativeJustice@jud.ca.gov
California Association of Drug Court Professionals (CADCP)
National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)
More Collaborative Justice Court Resources
