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Costa Rica Launches Drug Treatment Court (DTC) Pilot Projects with OAS Support
Costa Rica will formally establish the country’s first two pilot drug treatment courts on February 8, in San Jose. For the past two years, the program for drug treatment under judicial supervision has had the support of the Organization of American States (OAS) through the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and funding from the Government of Canada.  (Read more...)

Implementing Drug Treatment Courts in Barbados. A preliminary workshop

By the request of the Attorney General of Barbados, the OAS (through ES-CICAD) and the National Council on Substance Abuse or Barbados (NADS) carried out a workshop to discuss the feasibility of the Drug Treatment Court model in Barbados. Experts from countries where this model is already a reality: Canada, the US, and Jamaica, will attend this workshop. Read more:

 18th Annual NADCP Drug Treatment Courts Training Conference in Nashville, TN

In May 2012 CICAD organized the first international track of the NADCP (National Association of Drug Court Professionals) Training Conference in Nashville, TN. Over 50 international delegates attended this 4-day intensive training event, focusing on each actor in the drug court system from the judiciary to the treatment factors. Participants were given the opportunity to observe a DTC in session -accompanied by an interpreter- which was then followed by a question-and-answer session.

CICAD Conducts Workshop on the Evaluation of Drug Treatment Courts
Researchers and professionals in the Justice and Health fields working within the Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) model gathered from all over the Americas to participate in a workshop to evaluate this model as an alternative to incarceration under judicial supervision for drug dependent offenders (Read more...)

Executive Secretary Paul Simons

Ambassador Paul Simons assumed the position of Executive Secretary of the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) on September 1, 2011, following a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. diplomatic service. (Read more...)

Costa Rica Explores DTCs (Spanish)

Conocer más sobre el funcionamiento de los Tribunales de Droga que promueve la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) en diversos países y el tratamiento de las personas que delinquen bajo el perfil de consumidores de estupefacientes, fue el eje temático de la reunión que sostuvieron autoridades judiciales este jueves 16 de junio. (Read more...)

Treating Substance Abuse as an Alternative to Incarceration

Societies across the Americas are affected by the impact that drug abuse bears on families, the workplace and even public security. But in recent years, a growing trend in justice systems is successfully shifting the conventional approach of rehabilitation to one that focuses on finding alternatives to incarceration for drug dependent offenders. The Organization of American States (OAS), is working with member states to develop and implement these innovative aternative policies aimed at achieving results that restore the offenders to health, and at the same time, improving the conditions of their communities. (Read more...)

Tribute to Justice Paul Bentley (R.I.P)

Paul Bentley contributed to the drug treatment court concept and practice in a real tangible way. He was a leader in convincing policy makers and professionals from all over the world, and in particular in the Americas, that investing in drug treatment courts was worthwhile. He trained and worked with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers, police officers, and many more, and gave of himself freely, while doing so. In his day-to-day life as a drug treatment court judge in Toronto, he saw that his approach gave drug-dependent offenders a second chance. (Read more...)

The Center for Court Innovation welcomes a delegation from the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) to visit the Red Hook Community Justice Center, the Midtown Community Court, and the Harlem Community Justice Center

The Center for Court Innovation shows an integral and holistic approach to different community problems. Community courts are part of that approach. They are neighborhood-focused courts that attempt to harness the power of the justice system to address local problems, including crime fueled by addiction. By the creation of partnerships and problem solving actions, the Center for Court Innovation works together with the justice system, residents, merchants, churches and schools to find solutions and improve citizen security in the community. CICAD has already counted on the cooperation of the Center for Court Innovation over the past three years. (Read more...)

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), a Strong Partnership to Promote Drug Treatment Courts in the Americas

Since early 2008, NADCP and CICAD have strengthened their partnership by cooperating in various activities to promote treatment alternatives to incarceration under judicial supervision for drug dependent offenders (through the modality of Drug Treatment Courts). NADCP members have presented the US case in several international events organized by CICAD, like the Santiago de Chile City Forum, the Lugo Summit, and several high level meetings held at OAS headquarters and elsewhere. Likewise, OAS specialists have actively participated in several NADCP Conferences (St. Louis, Anaheim, and Boston). (Read more...)

The OAS (CICAD/SMS) and the Justice Programs Office, School of Public Affairs of American University Develop a Strong Alliance to Promote Academic, Research, and Institution Building in the Area of Drug Treatment Courts in the Americas

The Justice Programs Office, School of Public Affairs, of American University and CICAD, have developed a strong partnership. As a result, and thanks to the leadership of this recognized academic institution, and in cooperation with other universities, centers of research, and national institutions from several countries on both sides of the Atlantic, a number of publications have been drafted. (Read more...)

The International Association of Drug Treatment Courts (IADTC), Crucial Alliance to Promote Drug Treatment Courts Worldwide

IADTC is an organization composed of representatives from countries where DTCs exist or are planned. The organization is also composed of international organizations, such as the OAS (through the CICAD/SMS), that support the mission of reducing substance abuse, crime and recidivism throughout the world by promoting and advocating the establishment of Drug Treatment Courts. (Read more...)

Drug Treatment Courts in the Caribbean executes its first activity: "Establishing and consolidating Drug Treatment Courts in the Caribbean: a team effort"- Jamaica - February, 2011

More than seventy judges and other representatives from the judiciary system in the Caribbean participated in a high-level training conference for establishing and consolidating Drug Treatment Courts in the region. This conference took place in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from February 2nd to the 5th, 2011. (Read more...)

Judge Stephane Haisley, presented the program Drug Treatment Courts in the Caribbean at OAS Headquarters - Washington, D.C. - December, 2010

Her honor Judge Stephane Haisley (Jamaica) presented the Program in Washington D.C. at the Forty-eighth regular session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) before the representatives of each member country. (Read more...)

Jamaica Preparatory Meeting - Jamaica - November, 2010

Court-Supervised Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration for Drug-Dependent Offenders: the Drug Policy Agenda - Washington, D.C. - November, 2010

The Organization of the American States (OAS) through the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security and the School of Public Affairs of American University, with the support of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), and the International Association of Drug Treatment Courts (IADTC) hosted the workshop. (Read More...)

Launching the Drug Treatment Court Initiative (DTC-Caribbean) - Canada - October, 2010

Several experts meet in Banff, Canada during the CADTC Conference to start organizing a Canadian Task Force to be one of the counterparts from Canada for the Drug Treatment Court - Caribbean initiative. (Read More...)

NADCP and CICAD Sign Memorandum of Understanding - Washington, D.C. - February, 2010

In early February, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), an agency of the Organization of American States, signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding “to promote Drug Treatment Courts and other alternatives to incarceration for Drug-Dependent offenders in the Americas.” (Read More...)

EU-LAC Ghent Forum - Belgium - June, 2009

The exchange visit among judges and prosecutors took place June 24-27, 2009. Group 3, aimed to allow participants (judicial system, including individual judges and prosecutors; treatment centers; individual health care professionals; city officials; national representatives in the area of drug treatment) to study and compare different models of treatment alternatives to incarceration. (Read More...)

EU-LAC Santiago Forum - Chile - March, 2009

The objectives were to create a forum for dialogue between the areas of Justice and Health through the experience of Drug Treatment Courts, enabling the creation, enhancement and sharing of experiences among those countries / cities interested in improving this form of treatment under court supervision. (Read More...)