Implementation of a Juvenile Drug Court for Lincoln County, NM

The Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program is designed to assist states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments in developing and establishing drug courts for substance-abusing adult and juvenile offenders. Drug court programs funded by the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program are required by law to target nonviolent offenders. The Program supports the following activities: Adult drug court implementation, Juvenile drug court implementation, Family drug court implementation, Single jurisdiction drug court enhancement, Statewide drug court enhancement, and planning efforts.

The grantee willimplement a Juvenile Drug Court for Lincoln County, New Mexico, based on the pilot project that began in September 2003. The current pilot program consists of four progressive phases, plus a period of aftercare and has four key components: Intensive Supervision and Drug Testing, Participant and Family Treatment, Physical Conditioning, and Judicial Oversight and Accountability. Intensive supervision of each participant is accomplished by random checks conducted throughout the day and night. Checks are conducted primarily by Surveillance Officers, but also with the assistance of Juvenile Probation Officers, local law enforcement, and other members of the Juvenile Drug Court Staff. Random breathalyzer and urinalysis tests are conducted in conjunction with these checks to ensure program compliance. Fully qualified professional therapists facilitate both the participant and family treatment components. Participant treatment consists of three group sessions per week, at least one of which is based on the nationally recognized Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) approach. The other two sessions focus on other substance abuse and life skills issues. Additionally, participants engage in bi-weekly individual sessions. Family treatment consists of a weekly parent support group where parenting skills and other appropriate issues are addressed. Families also participate in crisis intervention and individualized family counseling as is appropriate to the circumstances. A one-hour a week, structured physical conditioning component is also an included program component. Lastly, utilizing a multi-systemic approach, the progress of each participant and family is reviewed by the Treatment Team on a bi-weekly basis with the District Court Judge. Based on the team's recommendations, both incentives and sanctions chosen from a large continuum of options are assessed based on each participant's progress.

CA/NCF