NCJ Number
182888
Date Published
February 2000
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings and conclusions of a 2-day focus group discussion that took place in October 1999 and that brought together drug court law enforcement and corrections practitioners to examine the core components of successful linkages between supervision and law enforcement officers.
Abstract
Participants included approximately 30 individuals from the law enforcement, supervision, and drug court communities in Broward County (Fla.), Butte County (Calif.), Orange County (Calif.), the Maryland Division of Probation and Parole in Baltimore, and Spokane County (Washington). Also attending were representatives of the Department of justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Department of Justice Weed and Seed Program, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the American Jail Association. They discussed the issues essential to institutionalizing the drug court philosophy, with emphasis on the obstacles, opportunities, mutual benefits, and existing challenges specific to their drug court’s jurisdiction. Participants noted that information sharing, resource sharing, and team monitoring were characteristics that were working successfully in the five jurisdictions. Obstacles to establishing linkages included misconceptions and attitudes, a lack of clear role definitions and protocols, a lack of training and education, and personnel selection issues. Participants also described their vision for the future and ways that the drug court could market itself both internally to its partner agencies and externally to its national interests. Appended agenda and profiles of each jurisdiction’s linkages