NADCP 17th Annual Drug Court Training Conference, July 17-20, 2011, Washington, D.C.
This July, the best and brightest treatment court professionals will converge on the Nation’s Capital for the world’s largest conference on substance abuse and crime. Click on the link for more information:
16th NADCP Conference held on June 2-5, 2010 has a number of conference sessions on CDs available. Please click on the link for more infomation.
NADCP Position Statements
"Drug Courts are the Answer
Setting the Record Straight: Responding to DPA and JPI Attacks on Drug Courts"
On April 7, 2011, Margaret Dooley-Sammuli from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Nastassia Walsh from the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) co-authored an Op-Ed in the Baltimore Sun entitled “Drug Courts are not the answer.” Their tag-line was “Drug courts don't solve America's drug problem and may actually make things worse.”
The Op-Ed was highly critical of Drug Courts and made several unsubstantiated arguments calling into question Drug Court research and efficacy. Their motivation for doing so became apparent during a mid-March briefing on Capitol Hill at which they released yoked reports attacking Drug Courts and advocating for America to follow the lead of Portugal in decriminalizing all illegal drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine.
NADCP Position Statements
"Drug Courts are the Answer
Setting the Record Straight: Responding to DPA and JPI Attacks on Drug Courts"
On April 7, 2011, Margaret Dooley-Sammuli from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Nastassia Walsh from the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) co-authored an Op-Ed in the Baltimore Sun entitled “Drug Courts are not the answer.” Their tag-line was “Drug courts don't solve America's drug problem and may actually make things worse.”
The Op-Ed was highly critical of Drug Courts and made several unsubstantiated arguments calling into question Drug Court research and efficacy. Their motivation for doing so became apparent during a mid-March briefing on Capitol Hill at which they released yoked reports attacking Drug Courts and advocating for America to follow the lead of Portugal in decriminalizing all illegal drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine.
This brief provides a detailed response to the allegations made by the DPA and JPI in the Baltimore Sun."
nadcp.org/sites/default/files/nadcp/NADCP Response to DPA and JPI Media Attacks on Drug Courts.pdf
The Equivalent Treatment of Racial and Ethnic Minority Participants in Drug Courts
In recognizing that the burden of incarceration is borne disproportionately by racial and ethnic minorities and that Drug Courts play a critical role in helping to alleviate unfair racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals has unanimously passed a resolution on "The Equivalent Treatment of Racial and Ethnic Minority Participants in Drug Courts."
Drug Courts perform their duties without manifestation of bias or prejudice. There is, however, evidence suggesting that racial and ethnic minority participants may be experiencing relatively lower success rates than non-minorities in some Drug Courts. The adoption of evidence-based, culturally proficient interventions in Drug Courts has been shown to significantly improve outcomes for minority participants.
The resolution was created by the Cultural Proficiency Committee of NADCP and states that "Drug Courts have an affirmative obligation to examine, in an ongoing manner, whether there are potential racial and ethnic disparities in their programs," and "take reasonable actions to prevent or correct any racial or ethnic disparities that may be found to exist."
In addition, the resolution provides recommendations on data collection to determine whether disparities are present and steps to be taken to ensure they are alleviated. The resolution, along with other NADCP resolutions, can be downloaded on www.AllRise.org under "Positions, Policy Statements and Resolutions." It can also be accessed by clicking here.
Use of Technology in the Detection of Alcohol Among DWI Court and Drug Court Participants.
On June 1, 2010, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Board of Directors unanimously approved a position statement recognizing the importance of using technology in the detection of alcohol among DWI Court and Drug Court participants.
Alcohol misuse and abuse is common among Drug Court participants and is the central issue among DWI Court participants. In order for courts to ensure compliance with prohibitions on consuming alcohol and recognizing that alcohol consumption can be difficult to detect, NADCP supports the use of "all proven and effective technological tools available to assist DWI Courts and Drug Courts in supervising the participants in conjunction with treatment to address the root cause of the addiction to alcohol and other impairing substances." This includes Ignition Interlock Devices and Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring.
NADCP supports the continued development, evaluation, and research of relevant technological tools and the implenentation of effective tools to assist the courts in monitoring the use of alcohol.
Click Here to Download NADCP Position Statement
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer Report.
There is a debate going on in various local media outlets, as well as at the national level, regarding a recently released report by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) (click on the link for the report: www.nacdl.org/drugcourts). Many of the report's recommendations contain information (such as "Courts frequently select those most likely to succeed to participate in drug court - - a process called skimming.") and language ("Most drug courts require a guilty plea as the price of admission. When guilty pleas are required before offering treatment, drug courts become little more that conviction mills.") that those who work with problem-solving court programs would find problematic at the least, if not outright inaccurate and incendiary.
West Huddleston, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, along with other national leaders and practitioners, is replying forcefully to this report as references to it pop up in local and national discussions. Please click here for NADCP's official position statement on the NACDL Report. We wanted to make sure you were aware of the NACDL's report and some of the more accurate information being provided by our own national leadership so as to forewarn and forearm you in case references to the report appear in your area.
The Facts on Marijuana
Several jurisdictions in the U.S. have taken steps toward decriminalizing marijuana possession for personal use or when prescribed by a physician for medicinal purposes. Other jurisdictions have pending ballot initiatives or legislative bills proposing such changes in the law.
To ensure that all Drug Court professionals are apprised of the latest research pertaining to marijuana and are fully informed about the effects of marijuana on their participants and the public at-large, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals has produced a marijuana fact sheet and made it available for download at www.AllRise.org. Click Here to Download The Facts on Marijuana
The resolution was created by the Cultural Proficiency Committee of NADCP and states that "Drug Courts have an affirmative obligation to examine, in an ongoing manner, whether there are potential racial and ethnic disparities in their programs," and "take reasonable actions to prevent or correct any racial or ethnic disparities that may be found to exist."
In addition, the resolution provides recommendations on data collection to determine whether disparities are present and steps to be taken to ensure they are alleviated. The resolution, along with other NADCP resolutions, can be downloaded on www.AllRise.org under "Positions, Policy Statements and Resolutions." It can also be accessed by clicking here.
Use of Technology in the Detection of Alcohol Among DWI Court and Drug Court Participants.
On June 1, 2010, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Board of Directors unanimously approved a position statement recognizing the importance of using technology in the detection of alcohol among DWI Court and Drug Court participants.
Alcohol misuse and abuse is common among Drug Court participants and is the central issue among DWI Court participants. In order for courts to ensure compliance with prohibitions on consuming alcohol and recognizing that alcohol consumption can be difficult to detect, NADCP supports the use of "all proven and effective technological tools available to assist DWI Courts and Drug Courts in supervising the participants in conjunction with treatment to address the root cause of the addiction to alcohol and other impairing substances." This includes Ignition Interlock Devices and Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring.
NADCP supports the continued development, evaluation, and research of relevant technological tools and the implenentation of effective tools to assist the courts in monitoring the use of alcohol.
Click Here to Download NADCP Position Statement
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer Report.
There is a debate going on in various local media outlets, as well as at the national level, regarding a recently released report by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) (click on the link for the report: www.nacdl.org/drugcourts). Many of the report's recommendations contain information (such as "Courts frequently select those most likely to succeed to participate in drug court - - a process called skimming.") and language ("Most drug courts require a guilty plea as the price of admission. When guilty pleas are required before offering treatment, drug courts become little more that conviction mills.") that those who work with problem-solving court programs would find problematic at the least, if not outright inaccurate and incendiary.
West Huddleston, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, along with other national leaders and practitioners, is replying forcefully to this report as references to it pop up in local and national discussions. Please click here for NADCP's official position statement on the NACDL Report. We wanted to make sure you were aware of the NACDL's report and some of the more accurate information being provided by our own national leadership so as to forewarn and forearm you in case references to the report appear in your area.
The Facts on Marijuana
Several jurisdictions in the U.S. have taken steps toward decriminalizing marijuana possession for personal use or when prescribed by a physician for medicinal purposes. Other jurisdictions have pending ballot initiatives or legislative bills proposing such changes in the law.
To ensure that all Drug Court professionals are apprised of the latest research pertaining to marijuana and are fully informed about the effects of marijuana on their participants and the public at-large, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals has produced a marijuana fact sheet and made it available for download at www.AllRise.org. Click Here to Download The Facts on Marijuana
