Dear Friend of Drug Court:

Welcome to the NEW National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) website. It is our desire to provide a window into the benefits of Drug Courts and provide you a unique opportunity to get involved in a number of ways.  

The NADCP, a national not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1994 by a group of visionaries to reduce the negative social impact of substance abuse, crime, and recidivism by:

  • promoting and advocating for the establishment, growth and funding of Drug Courts;
  • providing for the collection and dissemination of information; and
  • providing sophisticated training, technical assistance and mutual support to professionals.

We recognize the need to alter the way citizens who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs and who emerge in the justice system are addressed. Our philosophy is that judicially supported treatment works, that we serve society best by addressing the underlying reason(s) crime occurs.  We know that continuously incarcerating alcohol and other drug-addicted citizens has no long term benefit. We know that these challenges can best be addressed through a blending of judicial accountability and effective treatment. 

The promise Drug Court includes:

  • substantial reductions in addicted citizens;
  • positive impacts on poverty, homelessness, crime, public safety, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, emergency room episodes, mortality rates, health care, and workplace productivity; and
  • significant cost-savings.

The impact of Drug Court has far exceeded the promise of those early visionaries and pioneers such as Judge Stanley M. Goldstein (FL), Judge Jeff Tauber (CA), Tim Murray (FL) Judge Patrick Morris (CA), Senator Claire McCaskill (MO), Judge John Schwartz (NY), Judge Bill Meyer (CO), Judge Henry Webber (KY), Judge Robert Ziemian (MA), Judge Bob Fogan (FL), Judge Jamie Weitzman (MD), Tammy Woodhams (MI), Judge Harl Hass (OR), Judge Jack Lehman (NV) and Frank Tapia (CA).

Within its short 15-year history, NADCP has become the premier national membership and advocacy organization for over 2,300 drug courts by:

  • serving as the only national organization representing over 25,000 multi-disciplinary Drug Court professionals, community leaders and concerned citizens before Congress and state legislatures;
  • annually hosting over 100 Drug Court training and technical assistance events that have benefited tens of thousands of Drug Court practitioners;
  • writing, publishing, and disseminating scholastic and practical publications that are critical to the ongoing growth and fidelity of the Drug Court model; and
  • creating a vision of a reformed justice system by impacting policy and legislation.

NADCP has been so successful in its endeavors that many officials have aggressively pursued the implementation and expansion of the Drug Court model to address other problems that emerge in the court system.  NADCP has been at the forefront of applying the Drug Court model to issues such as juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, drug endangered children, impaired driving, mental illness, homelessness, domestic violence, prostitution, and community reentry from custody.

Primary to NADCP's work among these other Drug Court models is its constant drive toward healing broken families devastated by substance abuse.  One of the most significant and devastating consequences caused by substance abuse in the family is the victimization of innocent children who are endangered, abused or neglected by drug-addicted parents. These children are sometimes found, at great risk, in homes and other environments (hotels, automobiles, apartments, etc.) where methamphetamine and other drugs are used and produced.

NADCP also understands the absolute benefit of a restored, healthy family. That is why NADCP has developed and led the nation in a new model of family court. Today, over 400 "Family Dependency Drug Courts" exist with the dual mission of protecting the child and diligently working to ensure long-term sobriety for the parent(s). By fast-tracking services, keeping drug-addicted parents engaged in treatment for longer periods of time and through the accountability mandated by the family drug court judge, NADCP's vision of clean and sober parents reunited with their healthy children is being realized.

NADCP is a proven organizational-change agent in both the public health and safety arenas. Together, Drug Court professionals and citizens alike are committed to the long-term sobriety and restoration of hope in individual lives. While changing lives, Drug Courts also change the face of addiction in our communities. Addicts are people with solvable problems. Drug courts offer the necessary tools and support for the addict to conquer their addiction.

The Future of Drug Courts

If society is truly going to save the lives of its addicted brothers and sisters, break the familial cycle of addiction for future generations, have a substantial impact on associated crime, child abuse and neglect, reduce poverty, alleviate the over reliance on incarceration for the addicted, and reduce many of the public health consequences in the United States, we must put Drug Courts within reach of every American in need. There is no greater opportunity for a systemic social change in the justice system than this.

Drug Courts are demonstratively effective. According to a decade of research, drug courts significantly improve substance abuse treatment outcomes, substantially reduce crime, and produce greater cost benefits than any other justice strategy. Drug courts transform over 100,000 addicts each year in the adult, juvenile, and family court systems into drug-free, productive citizens. Drug courts are the vaccine. Yet drug courts are not being prescribed to everyone who needs it. Despite their immense success, drug courts have been unable to obtain mass implementation and institutionalization.

Drug courts should serve as the model for how to address the broadest population of substance abusers involved in the justice system. NADCP will accomplish this by instituting sustainable drug courts in all 3,143 counties in the United States that serve the vast majority of the highest-need citizens in the justice system. Short of this, we fail to provide the best solution to America's greatest justice problem, addiction.

Join Us

If you are a concerned citizen who wants to make a difference in the lives of addicted people, their families and communities, please consider donating to NADCP by clicking "Give" or "Give Now". 

If you are contemplating a Drug Court in your community or if your Drug Court is already in operation, please visit the links to services and resources by the National Drug Court Institute so that we may assist you.

If you are a corporation providing products or services to Drug Courts, we would love to introduce you to our membership benefits. We invite all of you to join us as members and partners as we forge ahead together to change the face of the justice system and put Drug Courts within reach of every American in need.

Thank you for your interest in NADCP. Feel free to contact me at (703) 575-9400, ext. 13 anytime.

Sincerely,

C. West Huddleston, III

Chief Executive Officer