AWARD RECIPIENT:

Lancaster County
Lancaster, SC

AWARD AMOUNT:

$479,486*

PURPOSE: Lancaster County will use grant funds to implement a drug court for nonviolent, substance-abusing, male and female juvenile offenders. The drug court will serve 150 juveniles and their family members in an 18-month post plea program over a 3- year period. Program services will include early, continuous, and intensive judicial supervision, treatment, mandatory drug testing, graduated sanctions, incentives, and other rehabilitative services such as education, primary health care, housing, and aftercare. The Lancaster County Juvenile Drug Court's goals are to reduce drug use among juvenile offenders, decrease recidivism within the juvenile justice system, raise substance abuse awareness among the parents of drug court clients, and improve participant school performance. The drug court will use an existing database to collect and maintain data for operational and evaluation purposes. An independent evaluator will conduct process and outcome evaluations to gauge program effectiveness and determine whether the program is meeting its goals and objectives. The Lancaster County Juvenile Drug Court will coordinate with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Christian Services, Lancaster County School District, Lancaster County Adult Education, the Lancaster Fatherhood Project, Las Fuertes Familias, and Lancaster County Department of Mental Health.

LOCAL CONTACT:

Dr. Paul McKenzie
Director of Research and Development
Lancaster County School District
Lancaster, SC 29721
803/416-8862

OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS CONTACT:

Linda Mansour
202/616-3534

* This is a tentative award amount pending final budget review.