[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 534 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 534

  Designating the month of May 2008 as ``National Drug Court Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 2008

    Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Levin, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Kohl, Mr. 
    Menendez, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Johnson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating the month of May 2008 as ``National Drug Court Month''.

Whereas drug courts provide focus and leadership for community-wide 
        partnerships, bringing together public safety and public health 
        professionals in the fight against drug abuse and criminality;
Whereas 60 percent to 80 percent of drug offenders sentenced to prison and over 
        40 percent sentenced to probation recidivate, and whereas fewer than 17 
        percent of drug court graduates recidivate;
Whereas the results of more than 100 program evaluations and at least 3 
        experimental studies have yielded evidence that drug courts greatly 
        improve substance abuse treatment outcomes, substantially reduce crime, 
        and produce significant societal benefits;
Whereas drug courts transform over 120,000 addicts each year in the adult, 
        juvenile, and family court systems into drug-free, productive citizens;
Whereas judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, substance abuse treatment and 
        rehabilitation professionals, law enforcement and community supervision 
        personnel, researchers and educators, national and community leaders, 
        and others dedicated to drug courts and similar types of treatment 
        programs are healing families and communities across the country; and
Whereas the drug court movement has grown from the 12 original drug courts in 
        1994 to over 2,000 operational drug courts as of December 2007: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of May 2008 as ``National Drug 
        Court Month'';
            (2) encourages the people of the United States and 
        interested groups to observe the month with appropriate 
        ceremonies and activities;
            (3) encourages leaders across the United States to increase 
        the use of drug courts by instituting sustainable drug courts 
        and other treatment-based alternatives to prison in all 3,143 
        counties in the United States, which serve the vast majority of 
        the highest-need citizens in the justice system; and
            (4) supports the goal of robustly funding the Drug Court 
        Discretionary Grant Program and other treatment-based 
        alternatives to prison in order to expand these critical 
        criminal justice programs.
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