Press Release - Collier County Drug Court

Naples, FL -- The Collier County Adult Felony Drug Court has been named one of just 10 national mentor treatment courts by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the U.S. Department of Justice. The program will receive an award marking the distinction on April 19, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. at the Collier County Courthouse (Courtroom TBA).

National mentor courts are exemplary treatment courts selected to serve a three-year term as model programs to assist new or growing courts. These top-tier programs follow evidence-based best practices and play a significant role in national training, technical assistance, and research efforts. ?This is the second consecutive mentor court appointment for Collier’s Drug Court.

As part of the mentor court network for 2022-2024, Collier’s Drug Court will help develop, identify, and test national best practices and provide technical assistance to jurisdictions interested in implementing or improving an adult drug treatment court, including hosting site visits by team members from other jurisdictions around the country. (All site visits will be conducted virtually in 2022.)

?“It is a great honor to recognize this court as one of only 10 mentor courts in the country,” said NADCP Chief of Training and Research Carolyn Hardin. “This program is a shining example of how a combination of accountability and treatment can save lives, reunite families, and make the community safer. As a mentor court, this program is helping to transform our justice system and leading countless people who might otherwise be incarcerated into lives of long-term recovery.”

?There are now nearly 4,000 treatment courts nationwide, considered the cornerstone of justice reform.

?The Collier County Adult Felony Drug Court was founded in 1999 by the Honorable William L. Blackwell and represents a strong commitment to collaboration and partnership between the Courts, State Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff’s Office, Department of Corrections, David Lawrence Centers, County Government, and several other community resources.

?“Community partnerships are our superpower in Collier County, and nowhere is that on greater display than in our Drug Court, where so many diverse sectors come together to assist our clients in the difficult but critical process of addressing past traumas and learning how to live life without drugs or alcohol. Recovery is real, and when one person finds recovery, the benefits extend far beyond that person to their children, their loved ones, their employers (or employees), and the entire community.” Hon. Janeice T. Martin, Presiding Judge.

?NADCP’s mentor court network is supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. To learn more, visit ndci.org/resource/training/visit-a-mentor-court/.

?About NADCP

NADCP is the premier training, membership, and advocacy organization for the treatment court model, which now includes nearly 4,000 programs found in every state and four territories of the United States. Since 1994, NADCP and its divisions—the National Drug Court Institute, the National Center for DWI Courts, and Justice for Vets—have trained hundreds of thousands of professionals spanning the legal, clinical, psychosocial, and law enforcement fields. NADCP regularly publishes cutting-edge, research-based materials, and the association works tirelessly to improve the response of the American justice system to people with substance use and mental health disorders. NADCP is a 501(c)(3) organization.