Rogers Receives National Recognition for Work on Drug Courts

Press Release

Rogers Receives National Recognition for Work on Drug Courts

U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) received a national award from a group of drug court professionals for his role in making the specialized courts a federal priority.

"The NADCP Board of Directors wanted to honor Rep. Rogers for his passionate and eloquent address to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on restoring federal funding for drug courts," said board member Mary C. Noble who is a justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky.

Rogers received the award June 15 at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) annual conference in Washington, D.C. Drug courts are a court-supervised, treatment alternative that addresses the high relapse rates in nonviolent, drug-related cases. The mission is to create a criminal justice environment that stops illicit drug use and related criminal activity, and to promote recovery through substance abuse education and treatment.

Kentucky has 55 drug courts, ranking sixth in the nation behind the more populous states of California, New York, Texas, Florida and Ohio. NADCP, founded in 1994, is a not-for-profit organization representing the nation's 1900 drug courts and advocates policies that promote their use in communities throughout the country.

"We learned the hard way that the criminal justice system needed a sweeping overhaul to repair the damage of drug abuse," said Rep. Rogers. "The old way of doing things wasn't getting the job done, and we now know that drug courts are a practical, proven solution to reduce crime and get people on their feet again."

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rogers has been instrumental in steering approximately $40 million in annual funds to these programs throughout the nation. In southern and eastern Kentucky, nearly 800 individuals have participated in drug courts in 29 counties through Operation UNITE. An essential component of UNITE, drug courts compliment the organization's law enforcement and education efforts to rid the region of drugs.

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