NPAMC CEO Message

In the Spotlight: DWI Courts and NPAMC

Welcome to the third issue of The Voice, the official newsletter for the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime. Our readership is growing every week, and we’re working with both our Participating Organizations and other industry leaders to compile the latest, most relevant information available about alcohol misuse and its impact on the criminal justice system.

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Original Voice

The Hardcore DWI Offender:
DWI Courts Driving Improvements, New Research
David Wallace, National Center for DWI Courts

State Briefs

Montana

Attorney General Steve Bullock announced that Montana will pilot test the South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Program in Lewis & Clark County, Montana.

Montana former Attorney General Mike McGrath has introduce the Montana Alcohol Abuse and Drug-Free Plan, a ballot initiative that would earmark $5 million per year in state alcohol taxes to pay for addiction treatment, prevention, and drug/DUI courts. The initiative would shift the money to a state special revenue account to be administered by the Montana Board of Crime Control. The initiative will require 24,337 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

Vermont

The Vermont state legislature is currently considering a resolution to ask for Congressional permission to lower the state’s legal drinking age to 18 without suffering a reduction in federal highway funding. The resolution does not actually seek to lower the drinking age but rather to evaluate the consequences of doing so, according to state Rep. David Zuckerman, P-Burlington, who sponsored the resolution. In 2008 the legislature killed a bill aimed at lowering the drinking age.

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National Briefs

Bureau of Justice Assistance

The BJA issued the FY 2010 Competitive Grant Announcement for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. Only state, local, and tribal governments are eligible to apply for the funds, which may be used to address offenders with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Applications are due April 8, 2010.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

The NIAAA launched a new webzine, NIAAA Spectrum. The webzine includes feature articles, short news updates, and relevant information on NIAAA and the alcohol research field. NIAAA Spectrum will be published three times a year.

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International Briefs

United Kingdom

The Home Office released Alcohol Arrest Referral: A Guide to Setting Up Schemes in November. Click here to download a copy.

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Legal Briefs

In Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 557 U.S. __, 129 S. Ct. 2527, 185 L.Ed.2d 314 (2009), the United States Supreme Court ruled that affidavits from a forensic analyst identifying the substance taken from the defendant as cocaine was “testimonial” and inadmissible absent live testimony. The case caused significant confusion in the legal system about the admissibility of laboratory documents created by or for law enforcement (or court) purposes as business records.

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Research Summaries

Substance Abuse and Crime

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) released a comprehensive new publication entitled Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population. CASA reported that:

• 65% of all U.S. inmates, jail or prison, met the criteria for substance abuse addiction

• 85% of all U.S. prison inmates met the criteria for substance abuse addiction

• Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 78% of violent crimes

• Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 83% of property crimes

• Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 77% of weapon, public order, and other crimes

• But only 11% of inmates with substance abuse and addiction disorders receive treatment

More Research Summaries »