NCJ Number
150259
Journal
Perspectives Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (Summer 1994) Pages: 33-35
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
To address issues related to offender alcohol and other drug abuse, Alabama established a court referral program, which provides four levels of referrals to assessment, treatment, and case management.
Abstract
Levels I and II are education programs. The Level I schools provides 10 hours of instruction to first offenders with no identified drug or alcohol problems. Level II is a 28-hour program with didactic instruction and group exercises for individuals with incipient alcohol or other drug problems. Students must also attend four open self-help group meetings. The Level II program consists of direct referrals to local community mental health centers or other approved programs for further assessment and placement of defendants with serious drug abuse problems. The fourth component of the court referral network is the Court Referral Officer (CRO) program. This program rests on recognition that some defendants require judicial intervention offering the choice of jail or drug treatment, together with court monitoring for compliance. CROs develop case management plans for each defendant. The Court Referral Program is widely used; CROs evaluate and refer more than 25,000 defendants each year. The Mandatory Treatment Act of 1990 also provides for diversion from prosecution of offenders charged with certain drug possession offenses. A statewide survey of judges in 1993 revealed widespread satisfaction with the services resulting from the CRO program. Address from which to obtain more information