Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Elected to National Association of Drug Court Professionals Board of Directors

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Gary Tennis has been named to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) Board of Directors.

NADCP is a national non-profit corporation founded in 1994 by pioneers from the first 12 drug courts in the nation, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and clinical professionals. They created a common-sense approach to improving the justice system by using a combination of judicial monitoring and effective treatment to compel drug-using offenders to change.

"It is an honor to be elected to this prestigious board of directors," Tennis said. "NADCP's influence on and commitment to improving the justice system is apparent in every drug court across the nation. The model of justice it champions works significantly better than business as usual. NADCP has greatly improved how justice is delivered in the courtroom to those who need help. I look forward to working with this impressive group of professionals and bringing my decades of experience, perspective and insight to their extraordinary efforts."

The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, for which Tennis also serves as a director, recommended him for the board position. In addition to his work as DDAP secretary, Tennis' election was in part a result of his experience as chief of the Legislation Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office from 1986 until 2006 developing legislation to strengthen access to and resources for drug and alcohol addiction treatment within and outside of the criminal justice system, as well as his experience as Executive Director of the President's Commission on Model State Drug Laws under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Working under Presidents Bush and Clinton, Tennis led a bipartisan commission of treatment and prevention professionals, prosecutors, police chiefs, judges and other officials in publishing a comprehensive set of model state drug laws. The most prominent of the more than 25 model laws was the Model Criminal Justice Treatment Act, which codified the fundamental principle underlying drug courts – that all criminal justice defendants should be assessed for substance use disorders and provided the treatment they need based on individualized clinical assessment and that this should be part of the disposition of every case involving defendants with addiction. 

There are 2,734 drug courts in operation in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Nationwide, 75 percent of drug court graduates remain arrest-free at least two years after leaving the program. For every $1 invested in drug court, taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone. Drug courts produce cost savings ranging from $3,000 to $13,000 per participant. These cost savings reflect reduced prison costs, arrests and trials, and victimization.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jason Snyder, 717-547-3314

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

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