NCJ Number
144033
Date Published
1992
Length
27 pages
Annotation
The Multnomah County (Portland, Oregon) Expedited Drug Case Management (EDCM) program was implemented December 1, 1991, to focus on drug and property offenses.
Abstract
The program consists of three tracks including a combined adjudication and treatment track providing for both diversion and intensive treatment; two case processing tracks; and two treatment tracks which address the treatment, supervision, and rehabilitation needs of eligible defendants. During the first 9 months of the EDCM program, the average time for overall case disposition decreased from 119 days to 75 days, while the average case disposition length of EDCM cases was 67 days. Approximately half of the criminal caseload in the county court consists of the drug and property cases handled under the EDCM program; this caseload is handled by 3.5 judges, compared to 5.5 judges prior to the program's implementation. The two other judges are now free to handle other aspects of the court's criminal and civil docket. The EDCM program promotes early intervention with drug-abusing offenders, and should increase the likelihood of rehabilitation. 7 appendixes