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Attachment 1 Program Narrative Indian River County is seeking funding to support Indian River County's Adult Drug Court program by providing a comprehensive , collaborative program that addresses working with defendants with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues who need appropriate comprehensive treatment in an environment conducive to wellness, rather than punishment. For several decades , drug use has shaped the criminal justice system . Drug and drug-related offenses are the most common crime in nearly every community. Drug offenders move through the criminal justice system in a predictable pattern : arrest, prosecution , conviction , incarceration , release . In a few days , weeks , or months, the same person may be picked up on a new charge and the process begins again . These actions do little to curtail the illicit use of drugs and alcohol especially among our youth . As offenders flood the criminal justice system , many are not identified as having problems . In response, a few forward-thinking and innovative jurisdictions began to re- examine the relationship between criminal justice processing and Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD) treatment services . Several common sense improvements sprang up spontaneously throughout the Nation . It became increasingly apparent that treatment providers and criminal justice practitioners shared common goals : • stopping the illicit use and abuse of all addictive substances and curtailing related criminal activity . Each system possessed unique capabilities and resources that could complement the other and enhance the effectiveness of both if combined in partnership . Thus, the concept of treatment-oriented drug court was born . Drug courts were first implemented in the late 1980's , but they did not develop in a vacuum . They are an outgrowth of the continuing development of community- based team-oriented approaches that have their roots in innovative programs developed by pretrial , probation , and parole agencies , as well as treatment- based and law enforcement innovations such as community policing programs . It following this thought process that Indian River County established an adult drug court program . The Indian River County's Adult Drug Court programs was developed as a partnership among local Court Officials , Law Enforcement, Public Defender, State Attorney's office and local treatment providers to control drug abuse, reduce and prevent crime, and rehabilitate drug court clients . Indian River County's Drug Court Team works together with dedicated directors and line staff to carry out this mission . Attachment 1 ' Page 1 of 5 Indian River County, FI Program Narrative