New Hampshire s adult version, the Academy Program, lets participants avoid prison by immersing them in drug treatment, counseling and educational programs. In exchange for successful completion of the program, the courts can dismiss the original charge, reduce or set aside a sentence, or offer some lesser penalty. The adult drug court model is more well known. It started in Miami and spread like wildfire, Kelly said. I think we re in the front of the pack.
Few states have the juvenile drug court model.
Supporters of the juvenile program say it was created to address two problems the fact that alcohol and drugs play a prominent role in most juvenile crime, and that the state has little to help teens deal with drug and alcohol abuse. The judge is the central figure in the program, which features weekly court sessions to ensure participants are keeping up their end of the bargain. The program will start this summer, and the state expects a federal grant will allow it to expand to Concord, Goffstown and Nashua within three years. An important part of the program is its connection to the community. This brings the community in, hopefully, and keeps the community aware.