U.S. AG Holder Calls Drug Courts ’Top Priority’

Drug courts should be more widely available to offenders, including juveniles, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said during an address at a National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) meeting last week in Boston.

The Boston Globe reported June 4 that Holder said that drug courts have been proven effective in reducing recidivism and that expanding the programs as an alternative to incarceration is a “top priority” at the Justice Department.

“I believe that we can put drug courts within reach of every person who needs them, and I am confident that we can,” he said.

The conference also featured emotional testimonials from former addicts and their families about the effectiveness of the special courts, which direct offenders into drug treatment rather than prison.