Fill and Sign the Drug Courts Work Brochure Nj Courts Form

New Jersey Judiciary Drug Courts Work Criminal Practice Division Administrative Office of the Courts Statewide Adult Drug Court Program New Jersey Judiciary Trenton, New Jersey 08625 New Jersey Judiciary Criminal Practice Division Stuart Rabner Chief Justice Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D. Acting Administrative Director of the Courts Jennifer M. Perez Director, Trial Court Services Sue Callaghan Assistant Director of Criminal Practice njcourts.gov Revised 04/2019 CN 10844 • More than 4,760 graduates. • 88 percent of graduates are employed at time of graduation. • More than 558 drug free babies born. • $12.05 million in penalties have been paid. • 67 percent obtained a valid driver ’s license. • 55 percent covered by medical benefits. Drug courts are the most effective justice intervention for treating drug -addicted people. • Drug courts reduce drug use. • Drug courts reduce crime. • Drug courts save money. • Drug courts restore lives. • Drug courts save children and reunite families. Judiciary Adult Drug Court Program Vicinage Drug Court Coordinators Administrative Office of the Courts Donna Westhoven Statewide Drug Court Manager 609 -815 -2900 ext. 55316 Donna. Westhoven @jnjcourts.gov Atlantic/Cape May Atlantic - Vicky Golas 609 -402 -0100 ext. 43383 Cape May - Rebecca Super 609 -402 -0100 ext. 47540 Bergen William Hernandez 201 -221 -0700 ext. 25012 Burlington Aubrey Gallagher 609 -518 -2559 Camden Armando Andujar 856 -379 -2200 ext. 3711 Cumberland/Gloucester/ Salem Cumberland - Sherry Patterson 856 -453 -4693 ext. 14693 Gloucester/Salem - Dean Bowman 856 -686 -7583 Essex Thomas Viola 973 -776 -9300 ext. 56491 Hudson Margareth Alwart 201 -748 -4400 ext. 60215 Mercer Yudelkis Hernandez 609 -571 -4200 ext. 74065 Middlesex Tammy D ’Aloia 732 -645 -4300 ext. 88062 Monmouth Melissa Garrett 732 -677 -4551 Morris/Sussex Morris - Jennifer Gulden 973 -326 -5982 Sussex - Maria Peralta 973 -326 -6997 Passaic Carole L. Haines 732 -929 -2125 Somerset/Hunterdon/ Warren Lisa Scheidemann 908 -332 -7700 ext. 13518 Union Mathew Hagler 908 -787 -1650 ext. 21200 Why Do We Need Drug Courts? A revolution is underway in the criminal justice system. It began at the grassroots level with a few people who realized that the old approach – incarceration and more incarceration – wasn ’t working. As the numbers of accused drug offenders increased, there were not enough jails and prisons to hold them. With the enactment of the Comprehensive Drug Reform Act of 1986 in New Jersey, a major increase in the number of arrests occurred, including the number of arrests in drug cases and the percentage of those sentenced to serve time in state institutions. Drug courts have been more successful in generating significant cost savings by replacing costly per inmate annual incarceration costs with less expensive treatment services. Drug courts substantially reduce drug use and recidivism while offenders are in the program by closely supervising offenders in the community, placing and keeping them in treatment programs, and by providing treatment and related services to offenders soon after arrest. Drug courts also have been successful in reducing racial disparity in the prison population. How Do New Jersey Drug Courts Work? Prospective drug court defendants come under the court ’s supervision soon after arrest. After acceptance to drug court, participants begin a clinically -driven treatment program that generally lasts from 12 to 24 months. Participants are required to attend treatment sessions, undergo random urinalysis, meet regularly with probation officers and appear frequently before the drug court judge. Who is Eligible for Drug Court? New Jersey ’s Drug Courts target substance abusing adult defendants who have undergone a legal review and clinical assessment by drug court team members. Persons excluded from participation in drug court include those who have previous convictions or pending charges for a violent offense. Other eligibility criteria and exclusions apply. For additional information, contact the drug court in your area for details. Contact information is included in this brochure. Mandatory Drug Court A law passed in July 2012, to expand the existing voluntary drug court and compel additional drug offenders into the program. The “Special Probation ” statute was amended on July 1, 2013, to require admission to the drug court program of otherwise eligible offenders regardless of whether they made a voluntary application. Mandatory drug courts are in the following counties: Hudson, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Mercer, and Passaic. In July 2015, Bergen, Burlington, and Monmouth counties became mandatory courts. Essex, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Middlesex will be the next mandatory courts in July 2016. Finally, in July 2017, Camden, Morris, Sussex, and Union will be mandatory drug courts. Clinical Screening and Assessment The Judiciary ’s substance abuse evaluator conducts an interview of the applicant once the applicant has been deemed eligible. Substance abuse evaluation should include the following: the extent of the applicant ’s drug and alcohol use, substance use diagnosis of the applicant based on criteria such as substance abuse treatment history, medical and psychological issues, level of care needed, and relevant psychosocial concerns. What Do Drug Courts Offer? New Jersey ’s Drug Courts include a multi - phased judicial process coupled with treatment services and intensive probation supervision. Program Elements • Regular court appearances • Frequent, random drug testing • Detoxification, if necessary • Residential programs, if needed • Intensive outpatient programs • Individual and group counseling • 12 -step, self -help groups • Relapse prevention • Sanctions and incentives • Community service requirements • Ancillary services Drug Courts Encourage • Personal accountability by the participant. • Payment of child support and other financial obligations. • Education and full -time employment. • Involvement with self -help and community organizations to support participant recovery after graduation from drug court. What Makes Our Drug Courts Unique? New Jersey ’s Drug Court design is based on the 10 key components developed by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. These essential elements establish the foundation from which policies and operating procedures have formed. A statewide drug court model has emerged in New Jersey that targets non -violent substance abusing defendants who, without drug courts, would be bound for state prison or county jail or subject to other sentences. Since April 2002, the following achievements have been realized in New Jersey Drug Courts: