DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AWARDS MORE THAN $25 MILLION TO COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE FOR DRUG COURTS

     WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $25 million to plan, establish, or improve drug courts for nonviolent, substance-abusing adult and juvenile offenders. Drug court grants, administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), are part of the Administration's effort to stop drug addiction and break the cycle of crime often associated with substance abuse.

     "Drug courts are an integral part of our criminal justice system and their aim is to build safer communities, reduce recidivism, and reunite families," said Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "By leveraging a unique integration of public health and public safety resources, drug courts make certain substance abuse treatment assumes a central role instead of becoming a secondary disciplinary by-product."

     Drug courts provide intensive continuous judicial supervision and a coordinated and supervised delivery of a wide range of support services, such as substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and education. Participants must regularly appear in court before specially-trained judges for treatment and drug court terms and conditions compliance review. If a participant violates the terms of the court, he or she may be immediately detained and brought before the drug court judge where graduated sanctions, including incarceration, may be imposed.

     The funding announced today supports the implementation and enhancement of adult and juvenile drug courts in local jurisdictions and state agencies, and is administered by OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Implementation grants are awarded to jurisdictions that have completed planning and are ready to implement a drug court. Enhancement grants are available to jurisdictions with fully-operational drug courts that intend to improve service delivery. The grants are also available to state agencies—such as a state's administering agency, an administrative office of the court, or alcohol and drug abuse agency—to establish evaluation and automated data-collection system initiatives or to provide statewide training or other assistance.

     Earlier this year, BJA released a bulletin highlighting drug court programs that target methamphetamine abuse. The publication, Drug Courts: An Effective Strategy for Communities Facing Methamphetamine (May 2005), provides an overview of the debilitating effects of methamphetamine use, examples of successful drug court programs in areas deeply affected by methamphetamine use, and policy recommendations for implementing a drug court that will target a methamphetamine-using population. The publication is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

     States, state and local courts, local governments, and Indian tribal governments are eligible to receive drug court grants. A list of grant recipients and award amounts follows.

     The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP is headed by an Assistant Attorney General and comprises five component bureaus and two offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime, as well as the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education and the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy and OJP's American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Desk. More information can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

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