AWARD RECIPIENT:

Mercer Vicinage Family Division
Trenton, NJ

AWARD AMOUNT:

$499,937*

PURPOSE: The Mercer County Juvenile Drug Court will use grant funds to implement a post-adjudication drug court for nonviolent, juvenile offenders ages 13 to 17 who have a demonstrated level of alcohol and/or drug abuse. The drug court will serve approximately 150 juveniles and family members over the 3-year project period. The principal goals of the program are to: reduce juveniles' drug abuse and delinquency; increase school enrollment, attendance, and performance; provide training and employment opportunities; and provide improved family/care giver services for juvenile drug court participants. The drug court program is 12 to 15 months in length and provides substance abuse treatment, as well as educational sessions that address anger management, violence prevention, victimization issues, and values formation. The grantee will coordinate this effort with the following agencies: the New Jersey State Judiciary, the Mercer Vicinage Family Division, the New Jersey Department of Health, the Mercer County Youth Services Commission, Mercer Street Friends, and the Juvenile Justice Commission. The grantee will conduct process and outcome evaluations, which will analyze the operational components of the drug court program and compile information on the impact of the drug court on participants. It will monitor recidivism outcomes for 1 to 2 years post-drug court and will develop uniform information to track the juveniles for up to 2 years after they exit the drug court program.

LOCAL CONTACT:

Michael Green
Mercer Vicinage Family Division
175 South Broad Street
P.O. Box 8068
Trenton, NJ 08650
609/989-6246

OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS CONTACT:

Linda Mansour
202/616-3534

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