DeKalb County Drug Court
The DeKalb County Drug Court (DCDC) is a two-year judicially supervised drug treatment/alternative sentencing program offered by DeKalb County Superior Court. The DCDC formally began operation in July 2002 and has enrolled well over 800 participants to date into intensive outpatient treatment services. The program specifically targets high-risk (recidivism) and high-needs (service needs) participants in Track 1, while Track 2 targets moderate-risk and moderate to high-needs participants. In 2008, the program became the first in the southeast to offer two levels of treatment and supervision based on participants’ risk of recidivism and service needs. The DCDC is regarded as a national and regional leader for its innovative services, use of evidence-based treatment practices, and outcomes.
The DCDC continues to work towards increasing the program census, raising awareness through partnerships, and participating in various community/county events (i.e. The Opioid Summit, hosted by Comm. Larry Johnson, Leadership DeKalb Day, DeKalb Workforce Development, Metro Atlanta Homeless Task Force Initiatives, Red Ribbon Week, etc.). The program is a leading example of interdisciplinary cooperation, joining together the DeKalb Superior Court, District Attorney’s Office, Police Department, Pretrial Services, Public Defenders Office, Sheriff’s Department, and DeKalb Community Service Board. Additionally, the DCDC has long-running partnerships with many local universities and colleges, nonprofits, civic groups, and churches.
The Administrative staff and Judges are continuously working on various initiatives throughout the year to promote the program’s efforts and outcomes. The program continues to work diligently to ensure that DeKalb not only meets but exceeds expectations on all levels. Furthermore, the program maintains an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability; dealing in hard, independently verified data. The data is clear, the DCDC is DeKalb’s best and only proven method for engaging non-violent, drug-addicted offenders in treatment, and curbing recidivism.