Cultural Proficiency for Drug Court Practitioners Training Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Program: National Initiatives, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In FY 2008, the program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within five major categories: 1) preventing crime and drug abuse; 2) enhancing local law enforcement; 3) enhancing local courts; 4) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 5) facilitating justice information sharing.

The National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) will implement the Cultural Proficiency for Drug Court Practitioners Training Program under Category 2: Enhancing Local Courts. They will continue to deliver evidence-based curricula on cultural proficiency to drug courts. NDRI will regionally train experienced drug court professionals in cultural proficiency issues through the use of the 2-day training, Cultural Proficiency for Drug Court Practitioners. This curriculum emphasizes working with African American participants and their disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system. Additionally, NDRI will develop and field test a second Latino-centric version of the same course.

CA/NCF