Harris County Veterans' Drug Court Program

The purpose of the Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program (42 U.S.C. 3797u et seq.) is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop and implement drug treatment courts that effectively integrate substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in a judicially supervised court setting with jurisdiction over nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders. The FY 2012 Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program will provide grant funds to jurisdictions to implement or enhance a local drug court or to implement, enhance, or expand drug court services statewide.

Harris County will use the drug court funds to implement a Veterans Treatment Court that will: divert 100 veterans away from the traditional criminal justice system; improve drug court participant access to medical, mental health, and substance abuse treatment; assist with the issues of homelessness and unemployment; and improve long-term mental health recovery and community reintegration. Grant funds will be used to support personnel costs, travel to trainings, drug and alcohol evaluations and testing, and consultant fees to conduct a process evaluation.

CA/NCF