Planning a drug court requires the involvement of all of the key players in the local criminal justice system, local treatment agencies, and the community. Some of those players include judges, court administrators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement, school officials, community corrections, child welfare workers, county clerks, and pre-trial services. Resources available to jurisdictions planning drug courts include:

• IC 12-23-14.5 and the Judicial Conference of Indiana Drug Court Rules
• Drug Court Planning Initiative, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance
• Juvenile Drug Courts: Strategies in Practice, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, March 2003
• Defining Drug Courts: The Key Components, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Drug Courts Program Office, 1997
• The National Association of Drug Court Professionals
• The National Drug Court Institute

General guidelines for planning a drug court include:

• Gathering information related to the planning and implementation of drug courts and visiting one or more existing drug courts.
• Notifying the Indiana Judicial Center of the court’s intention to establish a drug court.
• Gathering a group of stakeholders who are impacted by substance abuse in your community.
• Developing a mission, goals, objectives, and funding plan for the drug court based upon an understanding of the needs of the community and available resources.
• Identifying a target population.
• Determining eligibility criteria, treatment methods, and incentives and sanctions.
• Developing a policy and procedure manual that documents that incorporates policies and procedures for conducting day-to-day drug court activities.

Drug Court Funding

Certified drug courts may collect a user fee of up to $500 per referral to drug court. Currently, however, there is not state funding for drug courts. Most drug courts receive funding from a variety of sources including county councils, local coordinating councils, block grants, private donations, and state and federal grants. Potential sources of grant funding include:

• Bureau of Justice Assistance
• Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
• Indiana Supreme Court
• Indiana Department of Correction
• Local Coordinating Councils

Drug Court Certification Checklist

The following is a checklist for courts that intend to establish a drug court under IC 12-23-14.5. Section references are to the Drug Court Rules. The court must:

_____  Submit notification of the intent to establish a drug court to the Indiana Judicial Center during the planning stages [Section 5].

_____  Prior to implementation, submit a standard application form including the following [Section 6(e)]:

• a letter requesting approval to begin the drug court certification process,
• the completed application and any supporting documents, and
• a policy and procedures manual developed in accordance with these rules.

_____ Schedule and complete a site visit with IJC [Section 6(i)].

_____ Obtain a written statement from the Indiana Judicial Center approving the drug court’s application and its plan for operation [Section 6(g)].

Following receipt of this written statement,

• establish procedures required by IC 12-23-14.5 and the drug court rules concerning the receipt, accountability for, and disbursement of fees collected and other revenues or monies received pursuant to IC 12-23-14.5, and
• set and require the assessment and collection of fees pursuant to IC 12-23-14.5 if a fee is required.

_____  Obtain a 180-day provisional certificate from the Indiana Judicial Center [Section 6(i)].

_____  Begin the delivery of services as a certified drug court.

_____  Submit to a certification review completed by Indiana Judicial Center staff.

_____  Obtain certification from the Indiana Judicial Center [Section 6(k)].

Drug court-related statutes
Drug Courts: IC 12-23-14.5 
Drug Court Definition: IC 12-7-2-73.5
Chemical test:  IC 12-7-2-26.5        

Drug Court Related Documents

Document	PDF	Pages	Size
Drug Court Rules		28	137 kb
Drug Court Directory		9	104 kb
Application for Initial Certification as a Drug Court		6	52 kb
Application for Recertification as a Drug Court		5	49 kb