A 1997 assessment by the American University's Drug Court Clearinghouse found that significant reductions in drug use and recidivism attributed to drug court participation were helping communities save money. The same research showed that drug courts are helping families reunite. In Portland, Oregon, almost all of the over 100 female participants who had lost custody of their minor children due to their substance abuse regained custody of their children after participating in the drug court program. To capitalize on the success of the drug court movement, we must collect data on progress drug courts are achieving and share that information aggressively with communities just getting started with a drug court. These new grants will help fund those endeavors.
Drug courts use drug testing to ensure that program participants stay drug-free.
Participants are subject to sanctions for failing to comply with their treatment regimens, and receive incentives for progress. In the past, OJP has made grants only to single states or jurisdictions that endeavored to plan or implement a drug court or wanted to make improvements to or expand an existing drug court. The Drug Court program was established by the 1994 Crime Law. In December of last year, the Justice Department and the Office of National Drug Control Policy jointly funded a National Drug Court Institute to provide training, education and other support for drug courts around the nation. A list of grantees, contacts, and the amounts that will be awarded is attached.