This Alumni Association offers graduates a vital, ongoing connection to the program that helped them begin their recovery journey. By mentoring, encouraging, and supporting fellow alumni, the Association embodies the very purpose of our grants, strengthening lives, families, and communities through hope, accountability, and fellowship.
With Friends of the Court funding, the Alumni Association has created sober, prosocial events that build community and reinforce a lasting recovery lifestyle. From speaker meetings and informal gatherings to picnics, bowling nights, and holiday celebrations, these activities provide safe spaces where participants can connect, support one another, and lay the foundation for lifelong success.
We are inspired to see our grant dollars used in such meaningful ways, and we celebrate the Alumni Association’s role in helping Drug Court clients and graduates thrive. The following letter (below), shared with us by court staff, confirms the very real difference this support makes for people striving to improve their lives—and the communities they call home.
Maricopa Superior Court Drug Court Alumni Association
At Friends of the Court, we take pride in the positive impact our grant funding brings to the community. This year, we were honored to award a grant to the Guadalupe Teen Court, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary of helping teens in the Town of Guadalupe. You’re invited to join in their celebration! Simply scan the QR code in the image to learn more and RSVP so they know you’ll be attending..
Friends of the Court is proud to offer grant money to Treatment Courts in Maricopa County like the Adult Drug Court. By offering grants for bus passes, food coupons, and housing vouchers, we provide a helping hand to participants on the road to once again being contributing members of our community.
The first video shows the testimonials of Diana Martinez and Dovie Friedenberg, both participants in Maricopa County’s Adult Drug Court. Their struggle to sobriety is harrowing; the support from the Drug Court is heartening.
The first video shows the testimonials of Diana Martinez and Dovie Friedenberg, both participants in Maricopa County’s Adult Drug Court. Their struggle to sobriety is harrowing; the support from the Drug Court is heartening.
The second video shows the work of the Maricopa Adult Drug Court for the last 20 years. This work, told by the people most closely connected to the Court, is inspiring. The video includes two participants, Crystal Norcross and Karisma Doughty, whose lives were saved by their involvement in Drug Court.
The Veterans Court is an interagency collaborative effort that serves veterans in the criminal justice system and address probationer’s substance abuse, mental health, and life issues, by improving access to Veterans Administration Services (VA) for benefits and services, and promoting a reduction in recidivism. The Court uses an array of inducements and sanctions to help veterans toward sustainable positive behavior and reintegration into the community.
Established in January 2011, Veterans Court services began as a collaborative effort among traditional stakeholders and Veteran Affairs representatives. The stakeholders recognized the need to collectively address substance abuse, alcoholism, medical, and behavioral health issues endured by veterans, suffering from military service-related trauma. Eligible veterans receive treatment services through affirming veteran benefits through the VA and obtaining additional provider behavioral and medical health services and peer mentoring.
The Drug Court is a post-adjudication, non-adversarial program that uses a team approach to break the cycle of substance abuse and addiction. Through intensive treatment, drug testing and frequent court intervention, probationers are given the tools to lead a clean, sober, and crime-free lifestyle. Both the Criminal Department and the Family Department operate a Drug Court.
Established in April 1992, Drug Court offers a cognitive based, outpatient counseling and drug monitoring program for offenders. Participants enter into a behavioral contract with the Court that outlines the offender's responsibilities and goals within a specified timeframe. The Court regularly monitors participant compliance; incentives and sanctions are used to shape lasting behavior changes. Upon completion, participants may advance out of the program early, and could have undesignated charges reduced to misdemeanors.
Recently the Drug Court partnered with the Law Library Resource Center (LLRC) and AmeriCorps members to provide essay, resume building, mindfulness, and positive relationship classes as a program sanction. These classes promote skill building and knowledge while holding the participants accountable for their behavior.
The Regional Veterans Court is a collaborative program between the Municipal Courts of Tempe, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, the Scottsdale City Court, and the Cave Creek Consolidated Court.
The Court is the product of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, members of the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs Justice Outreach program, human service agencies and Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, working together to assist veterans and their families moving from military service to civilian life.
The Domestic Violence Supervision Program is an Accountability Court with the goal of ending physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and replacing it with new thinking, new behaviors, and new healthy relationships. The program is comprised of three principal components: enhanced supervision, victim outreach, and Offender Intervention programming.
The Juvenile Transferred Offender Program (JTOP) provides high-risk youthful offenders, under the age of 21, with enhanced supervision. The probation officer possesses expertise in coordinating specialized services to meet participant assessed risks and needs. This program uses incentives and swift and immediate consequences, to target participant drug and alcohol use.
Established in July 2000, JTOP became an immediate consequence court; targeting drug and alcohol use of youthful offenders sentenced to adult court and convicted of a felony crime. Offenders must be screened eligible to participate in the program and attend the orientation. Probationers enter into a behavioral contract that includes program phase requirements while receiving probation supervision, treatment, and/or intervention services.
Probationers receive increased supervision and monitoring from the Court Team. JTOP is a complete sobriety program with a focus on life skills, fulfilling restitution requirements, and possessing responsible citizenship, as demonstrated through behaviors during the program.
The Seriously Mentally Ill – Probation Violation Court program improves the offender population by providing opportunities for success while on probation. Offenders diagnosed with severe mental illness, severe developmental disability, and some cases involving traumatic brain injury, dementia, may be screened and accepted into the program. The court and probation department monitor offenders through close supervision, timely case management, education and training, advocacy, and effective collaboration with community agencies.