National Association of Drug Court Professionals

National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Abbreviation	NADCP
Formation	1994
Type	Nonprofit organization
Legal status	Corporation
Purpose	To champion proven strategies within the judicial system that empower drug-using people to change their lives.
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Region served	United States of America
Membership	2,663 drug courts 1,219 problem solving courts 25,000+ individuals
Official language	English
CEO	Carson Fox
Main organ	All Rise magazine
Website	www.nadcp.org

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit drug court organization. Their stated mission is "To champion proven strategies within the judicial system that empower drug-using people to change their lives."^[1] Auburn University's Kathleen Hale described the NADCP in her 2011 book, How Information Matters, as "the best among extraordinary organizations; whose structure, initiatives, strategies, and planning define excellence in the non-profit world".^[2]

About

NADCP is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia and was established in 1994 by the leaders of the first dozen Drug Courts in the United States. Jeffrey Tauber served as the first President, and is still on the board of directors as President Emeritus for Life.^[3] In 1995, Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson headed the Office of Justice Programs, and after talking to Judge Tauber, agreed to fund a set of standards for drug courts. That financial support was enough for the NADCP to develop "Defining Drug Courts: The Ten Key Components" and firmly establish the organization.^[4]

As of 2012, the organization has more than 25,000 members working in 2,663 Drug Courts and 1,219 problem-solving courts, including Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Community and DWI.^[1] Members include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, prosecutors, probation and parole agents, judges, law enforcement officers, case managers, CPS case workers, therapists, treatment professionals, court administrators and research scientists.^[5][6] The association is governed by a 29-member board of directors, chaired by Judge Ruben Reyes from Texas.^[3]

Bad press

Following the March 25, 2011 broadcast of the episode "Very Tough Love" on the radio show This American Life, the NADCP Board of Directors issued a statement in response to the disturbing events reported in the program. They reiterated the contention made by Ira Glass that the Glynn County Drug Court is "run differently than any other Drug Court in the Country". They further stated that 6% of U.S. Drug Courts "have watered down or dropped core ingredients of the Drug Court model, or apply inappropriate practices in contraindication to accepted teachings in the field. And they have paid dearly for it in terms of lower cost savings, lower graduation rates, higher recidivism rates, and a reputation for unfairness and ineffectiveness".^[7]

Institute

The National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) was established by NADCP in late 1997 to provide both all-inclusive training and technical support to the Drug Courts across the country. In its brief history, the institute has provided comprehensive training to over 36 thousand professionals throughout the United States, plus U.S. territories and seven foreign countries. It has developed and printed 37 publications which were distributed to nearly half a million professionals world-wide.^[1]

Training

The NADCP Annual Training Conference gives practical, working knowledge to several thousand professionals in drug and problem-solving courts, and is the biggest training symposium in the United States dealing with crime and substance abuse.^[1][5][8]

DWI

The National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) is a professional services division of NADCP begun in 2007, and provides the same functionality as the National Drug Court Institute, but for Driving While Intoxicated programs. The center's goals are: "expand DWI Courts nationwide, improve DWI Court operations through training and technical assistance, and maintain operational standards for DWI Courts".^[9] The DWI Court Reporter is the quarterly newsletter started in 2008. The NCDC receives its support from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distilled spirits maker, Beam Inc., and Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America.^[9]

Journal

All Rise magazine is the official journal of NADCP and offers timely, informative articles written for and by drug court professionals. It is published quarterly, and features the latest developments in drug and problem-solving courts.^[10]

Resources

These organizations are official resources for Drug Courts and Problem-Solving Courts: American Bar Association, Center for Court Innovation, the Council of State Governments, National Mental Health Association, and National Center for State Courts.^[11]

Veterans

A fairly recent initiative supported by NADCP is Veterans Treatment Court & program, first begun during January, 2008 in Buffalo, New York. The initial group of 65 had a recidivism rate of zero. As of March 2, 2012, more than 80 of these programs had been implemented in the United States.^[12][13]

Ambassadors

The ALL RISE Ambassador program was set up to give celebrities a way to raise public awareness of Drug Courts. ALL RISE Ambassadors include Trey Anastasio, Harry Lennix, Matthew Perry and Martin Sheen.^[5] The message conveyed is that "Drug Courts are the most successful and cost-effective strategy our society has for changing the behavior of criminally-involved addicted and mentally ill persons."^[14]

References

External links

• NADCP website
• National Drug Court Institute
• All Rise magazine