Drug Court Program Home

Mission

Sobriety, Recovery, & Productivity

To increase the public safety of the Hillsborough County residents by reducing crime and costs of criminal activity by placing substance abuse offenders into community based treatment programs under extended, extensive community and judicial supervision.

Purpose/Program Description

Designed to deal with first-time felony drug offenders, the first drug court program was established as a diversionary program in 1992. Based on the success of this program and the fact that forced treatment has been proven to be as effective as voluntary treatment, a specialized division was created in 1994 for more serious offenders who requested treatment and agreed to plead to the charges against them. In 1996, the program was expanded once again to address the problem of substance abuse among youth.

News

Graduates' Excerpts

THE KEY COMPONENTS of a Drug Court

Drug courts integrate alcohol and other drug treatment services with justice system case processing.
Using a non-adversarial approach, prosecution and defense counsel promote public safety while protecting participants due process rights.
Eligible participants are identified early and promptly placed in the drug court program.
Drug courts provide access to a continuum of alcohol, drug, and other related treatment and rehabilitation services.
Abstinence is monitored by frequent alcohol and other drug testing.
A coordinated strategy governs drug court responses to participants compliance.
Ongoing judicial interaction with each drug court participant is essential.
Monitoring and evaluation measure the achievement of program goals and gauge effectiveness.
Continuing interdisciplinary education promotes effective drug court planning, implementation, and operations.
Forging partnerships among drug courts, public agencies, and community-based organizations generates local support and enhances drug court program effectiveness.