On April 20, 2010, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York County Lawyers Association are co-sponsoring a symposium in New York entitled:  Problem Solving Courts Symposium:  The Pros and Cons of Treatment in the Criminal Justice System.  In the symposium “interested groups will debate the various functions of problem-solving courts, including access, standards and whether those most in need of treatment are being served. The discussion will focus on how we can effectively find solutions to some of society’s concerns while balancing individual constitutional rights.”  

For more information or to register please see: http://www.nacdl.org/drugcourts.

Thank you to cuttingedgelaw.com for bringing this event to my attention.

Also, for those interested in the topic, NACDL published a good analysis of problem solving courts last fall: America’s Problem Solving Courts: The Criminal Costs of Treatment and the Case for Reform.  The report is written from the perspective of defense attorneys, a group that has not been as vocal as others in the debates surrounding the value of problem solving courts.  The report is the result of a series of public hearings in seven cities around the United States.  The report calls for treating drug abuse as a public health problem, not a criminal problem.  The report raises a number of concerns about problem solving courts including criticism that some programs require defendants to plead guilty before they can participate and concern that the qualification criteria often prevent defendants who might be most in need (and therefore most likely to fail) from participating.  The report also gives a solid analysis of the advantages of problem solving courts.  You can find it at the same link above, just scroll down to “Problem Solving Courts Task Force Report.”