Alexandria, Va. -- The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is pleased to announce that on May 1, 2008, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE), passed a resolution designating May 2008 as "National Drug Court Month" to help increase awareness about the existence and effectiveness of drug courts.

The resolution, S. Res. 534, urges local, state, and federal officials to help expand and robustly fund these treatment programs throughout the country. The resolution was co-sponsored by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Tim Johnson (D-SD).

"There's no question that drug courts save lives," said Sen. Biden, author of the landmark 1994 Biden Crime Law, which created the drug court program. "These programs are some of the most cost-effective and proven approaches to breaking the cycle of drug addiction and crime that infect our communities. I hope that during National Drug Court Month we can all celebrate drug courts' important role in saving lives and communities." 

"Drug use is a terrible problem that continues to plague our society and burden families, law enforcement and the court system. Drug courts present an opportunity for communities to come together and divert offenders to a system that will allow better rehabilitation of drug users," Sen. Grassley said. "With National Drug Court Month in May, we can highlight programs that help to reduce drug use in our communities by keeping people from repeating their offenses."

"I applaud Sen. Biden for being such a tremendous champion in the U.S. Senate for drug court over the past fifteen years, and Sen. Grassley for his continued dedication and support," said NADCP CEO West Huddleston. "Drug court is the antidote to America's most debilitating and pressing social issue of the day -- drug addiction. From prison over-crowding to nightly emergency room trauma, drug court is the antidote and Congress is pushing to expand drug courts nationwide. In addition to Sens. Biden and Grassley and the co-sponsors of the resolution, an additional 111 members of Congress recently signed the letters urging that drug court funding increase from $15 million to $40 million next year."

For more information about National Drug Court Month, visit www.nadcp.org.