Georgia’s Tough New DUI Law Takes Effect July 1st!
July 1, 2008
Georgia’s Tough New DUI Law Takes Effect Julty 1st
For Immediate Release
July 1, 2008
For more information:
Jim Shuler, Public Affairs
404-656-6996
jshuler@gohs.ga.gov
(ATLANTA) This year the July 4th holiday falls on a Friday.. And for some, it’s just another summer six-pack tradition to kick-off an entire weekend celebrating the consumption of adult beverages. That means July 4th is the second most dangerous night of the year on our highways. Too many party-people decide to leave their designated drivers behind at the barbeque and a dozen Georgians will die in alcohol-related crashes during the July 4th weekend.
But as of July 1st, Georgia has a tough new DUI law on the books that Georgia’s DUI cops will be enforcing on the roads! And it’s here just in time to kick-off Georgia’s Operation Zero Tolerance statewide DUI crackdown.
During the 2008 legislative session the Georgia House and Senate passed House Bill 336, creating a felony-level DUI charge for those repeat offenders who’ve stacked up four drunk-driving convictions on their ten-year driving record rap-sheets. With this change in Georgia law, multiple DUI arrests can now lead to felony convictions against Georgia’s worst case high-risk violators.
Long-awaited by DUI crash victims and grieving family survivors, HB 336 is truly regarded as lifesaving DUI law for Georgia. “This landmark legislation carries heavier fines, mandatory offender evaluations and jail times, stricter probation, and longer community service penalties,” said Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). “It should make any responsible driver think twice before ever climbing behind the wheel while impaired.”
For the first time, Georgia’s new DUI Law requires first time offenders to undergo drug and alcohol evaluation. And if that evaluation deems necessary, the offenders must participate in strict, court-supervised substance-abuse treatment to decrease the likelihood of recurring offenses. (Under the old law, drug and alcohol evaluations were only required for second and subsequent offenses.) But when those DUI offenders have been convicted a fourth time, the law is designed for public safety priorities to kick-in with mandatory felony jail time for violators.
Even while it was still pending, this visionary legislation already had the endorsement of GOHS, MADD, and the State District Attorney’s Association. Bill sponsor, State Rep. Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta) is himself a former prosecutor who perceived the random fatalities involving drunk drivers as more dangerous to the public and more frequent than the murder rate. “Sadly in murder cases, victims and perpetrators often know each other. But there is this randomness to DUI deaths where a car just suddenly crosses over lanes of highway and without warning kills someone on their way to church or school,” said Rep. Levitas.
“Until HB 336 was passed, even four-time shoplifting offenders were treated as felons under Georgia law, but a fourth-time DUI was still just a misdemeanor here,” said MADD-Georgia State Executive Director Denise Thames. “Georgia was one of only five states left with no DUI felony law. Now we have serious consequences for those repeat offenders. A third time DUI offender needs a tough message and it should include more than just a few days of jail time.”
“Few people realize there’s research that shows people drive drunk 87 times before being caught for one DUI,” said Rep. Kevin Levitas. “Just try to calculate in your head how many times these multiple offenders may have driven drunk before they were caught the fourth time and charged and convicted under the old law. It’s time we got their attention.”
Georgia’s new felony DUI law applies to offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2008. Under its provisions:
- First and Second DUI Convictions are treated as misdemeanors..
- Third DUI Convictions are treated as high and aggravated misdemeanors..
- Fourth or Subsequent Convictions committed within ten years are treated as felonies..
(PAGE TWO)
The following is a summary of HB 336 and not meant as a technical interpretation of the law. For a full reading of the actual statute see the OZT news conference feature on our website at www.gahighwaysafety.org
First Time DUI convictions carry these penalties:
- Fines ranging from $300.00 to $1,000.00
A period of imprisonment from ten days to 12 months (judge may probate all but 24 hours of jail time)
- A minimum of 40 hours of Community Service for DUI at .08 BAC or above/
Or a minimum of 20 hours of Community Service for DUI below .08 BAC
- Completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program
- A clinical evaluation and completion of any necessary treatment
- 12 months of probation, less any jail time served
Second Time DUI convictions carry these penalties:
- Fines ranging from $600.00 to $1,000.00
- A period of imprisonment from 90 days to 12 months (offender must serve 72 hours of actual jail time)
- A minimum of 30 days of Community Service
- Completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program
- A clinical evaluation and completion of any necessary treatment
- 12 months of probation, less any jail time served
Third Time DUI convictions carry these penalties:
- Fines ranging from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00
- Period of imprisonment from 120 days to 12 months (offender must serve 15 days of actual jail time)
- A minimum of 30 days of community service
- Completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program
- A clinical evaluation and completion of any necessary treatment
- 12 months of probation, less any jail time served
Fourth Time or subsequent DUI convictions carry these penalties:
- Fines ranging from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00
- A period of imprisonment from one to five years (offender must serve three months of actual jail time)
- A minimum of 60 days of Community Service
- Completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction Program
- A clinical evaluation and completion of any necessary treatment
- 5 years of probation, less any jail time served
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is issuing this warning to party responsibly this July 4th holiday: During “OZT” police in Georgia will conduct major waves of concentrated patrols and sobriety checkpoints throughout the state from Friday, June 20, through Sunday, July 6, 2008 to protect innocent motorists and their families from DUI-drivers on our highways.
Whether meeting a few friends after work or traveling the holiday barbeque circuit, friends should never let friends drive drunk. Remember to designate a sober driver in advance – Before the July 4th festivities begin. What can you do to protect your family on the highway this holiday weekend? Your best protection against a deadly encounter with a drunk driver.. Is a buckled safety belt. So Buckle-up. Slow Down. Drive Sober.
The Family Dinner Deconstructed
February 7, 2008
About a decade ago, research started appearing on the family dinner, and the news was uniformly good.
Children who ate with their families were less likely to do drugs, smoke, have eating disorders or become depressed. They were better at reading, less likely to end up in the hospital for asthma and had better grades. And perhaps most shocking of all, in rare instances they could apparently demonstrate exemplary table manners. (Scientists have been unable to replicate this last finding on a consistent basis, however.)
Dads and moms across the country took note and began rearranging schedules. Meeting were canceled, work dinners declined, tuna casseroles purchased. It worked. By 2005, a study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse — one of the country’s foremost advocates of the dinner hour — indicated that the number of teenagers who ate with their families had increased by a whopping 23 percent since the late ’90s.
Now, there is no doubt that dinner is a noble pursuit. But research on its benefits does raise a question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
In other words, does dinner itself offer some magical protection, or is something else going on?
David Dickinson, a professor of education at Vanderbilt University, says this remains an open question.
“It’s possible that some of these findings are occurring because the ability to organize a mealtime and come together may be just one indicator of a family that is intact and functional,” Dickinson says.
Basically, strong families are able to sit down together each night and eat, and strong families — rather than regular meals — produce healthy kids.
A Closer Look
Dickinson has done his own research on the family meal. Several years ago, he and a group of researchers from Harvard wanted to figure out why some kids learned to read early while others lagged behind.
They did this by looking at family routines, such as how often families read to their children, ate with their children and played with their children. When they started the study, Dickinson says the group fully expected that reading would be the most important contributor to early literacy.
Instead, Dickinson says, they found that mealtimes “were a much stronger predictor of how later development would go for children’s language and literacy development.”
And so that was the headline: Family dinner equals early reading.
But as Dickinson will tell you, if you looked more deeply at the research you might come to a different conclusion. It turns out that the verbal content of dinner was really important. The kids who did well didn’t just eat dinner with families, they ate dinner with families that maintained complex conversations rich with explanation and storytelling.
“When a new word was used — like ‘reptile’ — the parent that would stop and say, ‘You know, like a snake’ — or say something that would give the child a definition of what that meant, and those interactions were very powerful,” Dickinson explains.
Dinner provided an opportunity for children to be exposed to these language behaviors on a regular basis. But dinner in a more-limited verbal environment apparently didn’t have the same effect.
And this kind of thing is true in a variety of studies on dinner. While the headlines tout the power of sitting together over a plate of meatloaf, often when you look beneath the surface, the clarity of that picture muddies.
Barbara Fiese, a professor at Syracuse University, produced a study which indicated that children with asthma who ate dinner with their families were less likely to end up in the emergency room. But as with the Dickinson study, it turned out that the specific behaviors that the families engaged in were critical to producing this result.
In order for the family dinner to have a benefit, parents had to demonstrate interest in a child’s day, regularly express empathy, and organize the dinner in a fairly specific way, such as assigning roles like table setting and making sure that family members began and finished dinner at the same time.
So is it possible for a dysfunctional family to sit down together each night and benefit?
“They can if the meal is conducted in a way to support healthy development,” Fiese says.
Don’t Dismiss Dinner
While it may be that the good news on dinner is premature, it’s also too early to dismiss the possibility that the meal itself substantively contributes to family well-being.
To answer this question, researchers need to do an experimental intervention where similar families are randomized into regular family meal groups and non-regular family meal groups. Thus far, no study of this kind has been undertaken.
In the meantime, as David Dickinson says, it’s probably a good idea to keep the dinner hour going. As he points out, dinner is one of the few times in modern life when families can sit down together, speak face to face, and build relationships. All things, he says, which simply can’t hurt.
Coming clean: Drug Court elevates seven graduates to sober futures
November 16, 2007
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Staff Photo: Luanne Dietz
Dr. Philip D. Schroeder of Grayson United Methodist Church speaks to the graduates and those in attendance Thursday evening during the Gwinnett County Drug Court Program Graduation about having courage to continue and the importance of a second chance.
By Josh Green
Staff Writer, Gwinnett Daily Post
LAWRENCEVILLE - It was a motley crew.A young mother. A bombastic party boy. Two aspiring rock stars. A former basketball player, a thankful immigrant and a teenage girl putting her tribulations behind her.But on Thursday night, the seven graduates of the Gwinnett County Drug Court each shared an optimism that had been clouded by addictions of various strains.“If I didn’t join Drug Court, I’d be dead,” said Julie, after tearfully accepting a diploma. Graduates’ last names are withheld to protect their identities. “I know I’m going to make it.”
The graduates - honored in front of an whooping auditorium audience - had each endured between 18 and 32 months of surprise searches, drug meetings and frequent urine tests. All were accused of nonviolent crimes involving alcohol or drugs.
And all had their charges dismissed as an added graduation perk.
“That is an awfully long time to really have your life under examination,” said Superior Court Judge Billy Ray, head of the Drug Court team. “Getting sober is not something you do on a solo flight. Drug Court is about giving people a chance.”
Sometimes dismissed as a too-gentle “hug-a-thug” solution, the program currently has 51 participants, Ray said. Its advocates said the program, modeled after 25 similar initiatives in Georgia, is more effective and personal than probation alone.
Started in January 2005, the local Drug Court has turned out 27 graduates. It gathers all sorts of enrollees, from waitresses to Gwinnett attorneys. To graduate, participants must be sober for at least six months.
Enrollees pay $200 in monthly fees, and the program doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime.
Another graduate, Marko, faced deportation if he slipped up in Drug Court.
“Thank you very much, Drug Court,” said Marko to the crowd. “You pretty much saved my life.”
One year after graduation, an offender is three times less likely to be arrested, and the likelihood of trouble only decreases from there, according to the Judicial Counsel of Georgia.
Dr. Phil Schroeder of the Grayson United Methodist Church, the evening’s keynote speaker, praised graduates for having the courage to overcome their demons.
“When you rebuild, you have to start by clearing away all the debris of the past,” Schroeder said. “Rebuilding takes courage.”
Senate Restores Drug Court Funding to $40 Million
October 5, 2007
Key Amendment to Senate CJS Appropriations Bill Matches
House-Approved Historical Mark
Washington, D.C. – The Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill for FY2008 came to the Senate floor today, and with the unanimous passage of an amendment first proposed by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the drug court funding levels were returned to the historical average $40 million mark for the first time since 2005. Though the House of Representatives had passed the spending measure at the $40 million mark, the Senate Appropriations Committee had approved only $25 million for the Department of Justice (DOJ) Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program prior to Senator Dorgan’s amendment proposal.
“This is a great day for drug courts.” said NADCP Chief Executive Officer West Huddleston. “Today, Congress secured a second chance for hundreds of thousands of citizens caught in the cycle of addiction and crime, giving them and their families tremendous hope. This critical investment in drug courts will yield innumerable returns for thousands of communities across this nation such as improved public safety and civility by reducing drug dependence and associated crime one life at a time.”
Though historically receiving an average $40 million appropriation through the DOJ discretionary grant program, drug court funding suffered deep cuts in FY2006, falling 75% to $10 million, which was carried over in the Continuing Resolution for FY2007.
“We are deeply grateful to Senator Barbara Mikulski, Chairwoman of the CJS Appropriation Subcommittee, and Senator Richard Shelby, Ranking Member of the CJS Appropriation Subcommittee, for working with Senators Biden, Dorgan, Hagel, Levin, Reed, and Stabenow to include $40 million in the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice Science Appropriations bill for the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program,” added Mr. Huddleston. “This incredible achievement could not have happened without the strong support of the over 34 Members of the Senate who signed a letter in support of $40 million for the program earlier this year. Those Senators include Senator Harkin and Senator Durbin both members of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee. Drug court judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers, administrators, probation agents and law enforcement officers throughout the nation joined forces with NADCP and worked tirelessly over the past nine months to demonstrate the necessity of restoring drug court funding. The Senate and the House listened and responded with overwhelming support.”
BY ALAN RIQUELMY
––
While many courtrooms can be said to have a revolving door, organizers of the Muscogee County Drug Court hope that stops being the case for some in Columbus.
Today is the first session of Drug Court — an alternative to the prosecution, sentencing and prison time many defendants face in Muscogee County Superior Court. It’s different from a typical criminal court because those who plead guilty don’t go to prison — they go through treatment while out of jail.
And if they successfully complete the program, their convictions can be wiped clean.
“They call it ‘the courtroom drama,’ ” Judge Frank Jordan Jr. said of the weekly court procedures. “The participants all come and see who’s failing and who’s complying. That is a key thing — coming to court and either being praised or sanctioned by the judge.”
Muscogee County already has other “accountability courts” such as the Environmental, Mental Health and Juvenile Drug Court, but this is the first adult Drug Court for Columbus.
It starts with a referral to Larry Love, the Drug Court’s coordinator. He examines potential candidates for the court and sends them to Assistant District Attorney David Helmick, who is the program’s gatekeeper for the district attorney’s office, Jordan said.
If the district attorney thinks someone is a good candidate — a first or second drug offense that isn’t violent or related to trafficking or gangs — that person has the option to enter Drug Court.
Those who want to enter Drug Court sign a contract and pledge to remain drug-free. They also agree to attend a series of drug treatment classes and 12-step meetings over several months.
And, of course, the weekly Drug Court sessions.
“For example, someone signs the contract and enters Drug Court,” Jordan said. “Since then, he’s remained drug-free, attended all the meetings and he’s in compliance. If that’s the case, he gets a round of applause, or the judge comes down and shakes his hand. There’s some reward — positive reinforcement.”
Those who aren’t in compliance, the ones who fail a drug test or miss meetings, are punished. They may have to spend a weekend in jail or sit in court all day.
Drug Court is paid for by the participants. Attendees pay $500 over the first six weeks in administrative costs and $700 over six months for the Rediscovery Outpatient Substance Abuse Clinic.
Participants start out with two two-hour treatment classes and four one-hour 12-step meetings a week. As they progress through the program, participants’ classes and meetings become fewer and the payments become smaller.
The last six months of the program are less rigorous than the first, and the successful completion of Drug Court means the county has one less drug user.
Jordan said the court saves taxpayers the cost of prosecution and supervisory probation. The families of drug users will see that addicts are improving their lives.
“Those are the intangible but real effects that are hard to quantify and measure,” the judge said.
Jordan isn’t sure how many people will go through Drug Court. He said other courts have advised him and his team to take it slow.
Macon has about 150 people in its Drug Court, Jordan said. Glynn County has 270.
While the first session of Drug Court is scheduled for today, regular sessions will be held 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays.
Contact Alan Riquelmy at 706-571-8622
Hall drug program a model for White County
September 21, 2007
 by Dean Dyer/WRWH
CLEVELAND - A Family Drug Court could soon be set up in the Enotah Judicial Circuit to help better deal with the family drug situation in the area. That information, along with a better insight into how the courts, law enforcement and local citizens are working to deal with drug and child abuse and other crimes, was revealed during a forum held Monday in Cleveland.Enotah Superior Court Judge Lynn Alderman announced a program she and Juvenile Court Judge David Turk are working on to help better address the drug cases that come before them. Alderman said they will be working with the Department of Family and Children Services on this program the goes beyond what they are now offering giving those seeking treatment up to 24 months to kick the addiction. Alderman says this program is modeled after similar programs in Hall and other counties. In addition to Alderman, others on the panel were Juvenile Judge David Turk, Susan Zealy, Enotah CASA Director , White County Sheriff Neal Walden, Sharon Lee and Milisa Fincher with the White County Meth Task Force. Zealy told the group that in White County right now they have 43 open cases of child abuse that involves 65 children and they need additional CASA volunteers to be advocates for these children in court. |
| ©Copyright 2007 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. |
A fond farewell: Counselor turns seminarian and gets roasted at fundraiser
September 17, 2007
By STEPHEN GURR
The Times
GAINESVILLE
Scott Rogers The Times
Judge Jason Deal, right, roasts Michael Devine, left, as Devine was seated on stage alongside his wife, Kit, during Tuesday night’s Friends of Recovery Banquet at First Presbyterian Church
Michael Devine’s life took a few twists and turns before he ended up as the guest of honor at a banquet Tuesday night.Devine, who was director of treatment services for Hall County’s drug and DUI courts before entering seminary at Emory University two weeks ago, spent most of the night wearing his trademark smile as he was alternately praised and roasted by a panel of Hall County judges and prosecutors during a farewell fundraiser.
Devine, 46, later spoke openly of his life as a recovering addict, who at 25 was snorting an “eight-ball” (one-eighth of an ounce) of methamphetamine a week and drinking up to a case of beer a day when he tried to commit suicide.
“It’s an amazing gift for me to be here,” said Devine, clean and sober since March 1990. “You can’t come to this place without God’s help.”
Devine was lauded Tuesday as a counselor who offered addicts in the local judicial system hope through his own story of recovery and redemption. He turned skeptics of drug court into believers, Superior Court Judge Jason Deal said.
“I went from looking at it as a hug-a-thug program to really becoming involved in drug court because of Mike,” Deal said.
Said Court Administrator Reggie Forrester, “Mike has shown you can take the rustiest nail in the barnyard, and with enough care make it shine as much as any nail in the cabinet.”
Devine didn’t make it through the night without considerable ribbing.
Hall County Solicitor-General Larry Baldwin, poking fun at Devine’s penchant for writing long-winded policy manuals, commented, “when Mike quit, a local paper mill went out of business.”
Tuesday’s event was held at First Presbyterian Church as a fundraiser for Friends of Recovery, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping recovering addicts who have gone through Hall County’s various accountability courts. The group focuses on drug and DUI court participants who don’t have a support network of family or friends to help them stay clean and sober, Friends of Recovery chairwoman Stephanie Woodard said.
“I can’t think of a better way to extend a hand of friendship to people who feel they have no friends,” Woodard said.
Losing Devine to a higher calling is tough to take, she said.
“He has such unique skills and perspective,” she said.
Baldwin seemed to be only half-joking when he said, “Mike truly may be irreplaceable. He put in his notice six months ago and we still haven’t found a replacement.”
Contact: sgurr@gainesvilletimes.com, (770) 718-3428.
Originally published Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Athens-Clarke County Courts Get Money To Help Fight Crime
August 27, 2007
Amelia Hines
WNEG NewsCHANNEL 32
Friday, August 24, 2007
Judge David Sweat has seen a lot of criminals during his five years on the bench in Clarke County. But he sees even more of repeat offenders. He says sometimes he gets 3 or 4 each week in his courtroom alone.
“These individuals are what we call in the justice system “frequent flyers.” They’re in and out. They’re coming back again and again,” Sweat tells NewsChannel 32.
These frequent flyers are also known to be criminals who have mental illnesses like schizophrenia or manic-depression. Others have drug addictions that lead them to commit offenses.
“It can be anything from criminal trespass which is being in some place after you’ve been barred.”
Others get caught passing forged checks for a little cash or petty theft.
In most cases, these offenders are just trying to get by the only way they know how.
“They may be homeless; there may be very few options. And the only option in the past we’ve had to offer them is jail time. And jail doesn’t address the problems that lead to their criminal behavior,” Judge Sweat says.
Sweat has been working 2 years to get a grant to stop this cycle. He says a $45,000 grant will help start a program to deal with these types of offenders. Part of that program is setting up a “Mental Health Court.”
After offenders are released from jails and hospitals, they aren’t left to fend for themselves like before. Through the “Treatment and Accountability” Court, they’ll have judicial supervision to help them transition back into the community.
That supervision will include weekly visits to keep updates on their status. The program will also help them seek treatment for problems and hold them accountable if they slip up.
But it doesn’t end there; other agencies throughout the community will be there to help them along the way.
If everything goes as planned, the “Treatment and Accountability” Court will be running by early 2008.
NADCP Applauds Ten Year Drug Court Study Revealing Continued Reduced Recidivism and Cost Savings
August 15, 2007
Tuesday August 14, 2:45 pm ET
Study examines the impact of a single drug court on the total population of drug court-eligible offenders over a 10-year period in Portland, Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), the principal advocacy organization for 20,000 drug court practitioners nationwide, supports the findings of NPC Research, funded under a grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), U.S. Department of Justice, drawn from a comprehensive ten year drug court study. The “Multnomah County Drug Court” in Portland, Oregon, is the second oldest in the United States. The study titled The Impact of a Mature Drug Court over 10 Years of Operation: Recidivism and Costs shows significantly reduced recidivism for drug court participants up to 14 years after drug court entry and major cost savings to tax payers.Research Results:
-- The drug court significantly reduced the incidence and frequency of criminal recidivism for participants compared to offenders who did not participate. -- The incidence of re-arrest was reduced by nearly 30% after five years. -- Investment costs in the drug court program were $1,392 less per person than the investment costs of court "business-as-usual." -- Savings due to reduced recidivism for drug court participants totaled more than $79 million over the 10-year period. -- Drug court judges that worked longer with the drug court had better participant outcomes. Judges that rotated through the drug court twice had better participant outcomes the second time than the first. This study covers the period from program start in 1991 through 2001. The entire population of offenders identified as eligible for drug court by the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office from 1991 to 2001 was tracked through a variety of administrative data systems. Approximately 11,000 cases were identified; 6,500 participated in the drug court program during that period and 4,600 had their case processed outside the drug court model. Data on outcomes were gathered on each offender, with a particular emphasis on criminal recidivism per participant. The outcome data were drawn in late 2005 and early 2006, allowing a minimum of 5 years of follow-up on all cohorts and more than 10 years on many cohorts. Data on costs were calculated in terms of investment costs, outcome costs over 5 years, and total costs.
“This study validates the long-term effectiveness of drug courts through reduced drug use and criminal recidivism as well as cost savings to the community,” said West Huddleston, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). “Simply put, drug courts save lives, reduce crime and save tax payers money. The Multnomah County Drug Court has demonstrated once again that drug court is the best solution for addicted citizens caught in the justice system. Drug courts must be taken to scale; ensuring all addicted offenders in every county in America receives the best chance of a drug and crime-free future.”
About NADCP
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) are responsible for advocacy, training, research and scholarship on behalf of drug courts nationwide. With more than 1,900 drug courts nationwide, and 500 more in planning stages, drug courts have experienced phenomenal success and tremendous growth by reducing substance abuse, crime and recidivism. Since 1994, NADCP has represented over 20,000 judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers and rehabilitation experts, law enforcement and corrections personnel, educators, researchers and community leaders.
For more information, visit www.nadcp.org.
Contact:
NADCP Jennifer Columbel, 703-575-9400, ext 14 cell: 703-731-0966
(to view article)…http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070814/20070814006095.html?.v=1
CSG Justice Center Updates Mental Health Court Website
August 6, 2007
NADCP is pleased to announce…
CSG Justice Center Updates Mental Health Court Website Featuring BJA Learning Sites
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has updated its mental health court website to make information on the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) learning sites more accessible. These five mental health courts, which have been serving as learning sites since being selected by BJA in June 2006, are:
- Akron Municipal Mental Health Court (OH)
- Bonneville County Mental Health Court (ID)
- Bronx County Mental Health Court (NY)
- Dougherty Superior Court (GA)
- Washoe County Mental Health Court (NV)
The learning sites host site visits, hold conference calls, and respond to e-mail inquiries from people interested in starting a mental health court or improving their current program. The learning sites also work with the Justice Center, the technical assistance provider for this program, to improve their own processes and procedures. Snapshots of each of the learning sites, along with longer program descriptions, can now be downloaded on the website to help potential visitors to select a learning site.
All of the information needed to set up a visit is also accessible on the site. Interested parties can consult the site visit calendar, which lists some of the dates that are available for visits, and can download a visit request form and submit it to Lauren Almquist (almquist@csg.org or fax: 212-383-5743). The Justice Center has created a site visit observation tool to guide jurisdictions through their visits, as well as an evaluation form to report on the visits’ usefulness.
The Justice Center’s mental health court website also houses other resources, such as the BJA mental health court publications, links to relevant media articles and research, and a link to the Justice Center’s mental health court survey. The Justice Center encourages court personnel to complete a survey so that their programs may be profiled in the Justice Center’s Criminal Justice / Mental Health Information Network (InfoNet), a comprehensive database that inventories programs, research, and media. Click here for more information on the InfoNet.
To view the Justice Center’s mental health court webpage, visit http://consensusproject.org/mhcp.
