CASE STUDIES
Some jurisdictions have incorporated a number of different and
complimentary funding strategies that have created a firm foundation for
long-term sustainability and public awareness. By creating a diverse
approach to funding and an inclusive approach to community integration
and interagency cooperation, these drug courts have built diverse portfolios
of sustainable funding sources that reduce risk and improve the stability of
program operations. This approach ensures the effective provision of
services for a vulnerable population that needs durability and constancy of
programming and supervision to promote recovery. The following case study
illustrates the merger of several sustainability methods working in concert to
assure the permanency and growth of their drug courts.
CASE STUDY: BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Butte County Adult Criminal Drug Court† began in 1995. The program has
employed a variety of strategies over the past 9 years to secure adequate
funding to sustain program services. A great deal of financial support for the
program has been the result of a comprehensive community outreach and
education effort, supported by ongoing demonstration of program
effectiveness. The core program is funded through the reallocation of
existing department budgets; however, additional funding has been secured
over the years to expand program capacity and enhance client services.
These additional funding sources include local, state, and federal sources;
community based organizations; private foundations; private sector; local
businesses; and local residents. The following is a list of the blended funding
streams utilized to support direct client services and program infrastructure:
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Federal, state, and local grants: BJA planning grant and enhancement
grant, state drug court grants (California Department of Alcohol &
Drug Programs, Administrative Office of the Courts), local law
enforcement block grants.
Funds totaling $20,000 from the county Board of Supervisors for drug
testing. This request was initially made by the Chief Probation Officer
and was renewed each year to partially fund urinalysis.
At the program’s inception, probation officers provided group life-skills
training for participants until treatment resources were acquired.
The superior court, probation, and the behavioral health agency
reallocated existing resources within their departments. Personnel
were reassigned to provide specific drug court services. In some cases,
salary savings were used to pay for overtime for field services and
hiring extra employees to support drug court services.
Client fees pay for a portion of drug testing costs.
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Service club donations: varying amounts from the Chico Rotary,
Soroptimists, Omega Nu (an adult service sorority), and others.
Use of college interns in social sciences to add service support, both
paid and unpaid by the superior court and the probation department.
Use of local and state training funds to support specialized drug court
education. The probation department utilized training funds to send
officers to annual drug court training.
Community donations, including cash and in-kind services such as
tattoo removal from a local dermatologist to enhance employability,
graduation plaques from a local trophy business, and numerous other
incentive items such as gift certificates to local businesses for food,
clothing, and entertainment.
Hospital foundation donating $10,000 as a cash match for a federal
grant. This was the result of a request that identified a common goal
of both the hospital foundation and the drug court—improved public
health through reduced substance abuse.
Butte County Drug Court partners with the Chico Chamber of Commerce
Community Corporation, a nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) status. The
community corporation administers a drug court trust fund to accept taxdeductible donations to the adult and juvenile drug court programs.
Donations are used as cash matches for grants, to fund special projects,
and provide incentives for drug court participants such as coffee mugs with
the drug court logo given to participants as they enter the continuing care
phase prior to graduation. The drug court trust fund is split into three
accounts: one for donations to the adult drug court, one for donations
to the juvenile drug court, and one for donations where adult or juvenile was
not specified. When funds are needed, the judge contacts the trust fund
administrator, who will usually issue a check the same day. Receipts for
purchases are returned to the community corporation for auditing purposes.
This was arranged to encourage donations to the drug court programs, as
contributions to the community corporation are tax deductible.
While many drug courts elect to establish their own nonprofit status for the
same fiscal purpose, Butte County recognized the ability of the Chico
Chamber of Commerce Community Corporation to serve this function. Acting
as fiscal agent, this community corporation assists the drug court programs
with accounting responsibilities and furthers the goal of integrating these
programs into the community.
Butte County Drug Court has a unique arrangement with the Butte Creek
Foundation, a small, local foundation that wanted to help indigent drug court
participants get their General Education Diplomas (GED). The Foundation set
aside a special fund from community donations, to pay the GED testing fees
for drug court participants. Participants that need assistance paying the
testing fee apply for financial aid by filling out a financial information form,
which is reviewed by the drug court coordinator to verify hardship. If the
coordinator determines that payment of the fee will create a hardship for the
participant, and the judge approves, the coordinator writes a letter to the
director of the testing center confirming that payment of the fee has been
authorized. The participant presents the letter to the testing center staff
when he or she registers for the test. Once the test has been taken, the
testing center sends an invoice to the coordinator, who in turn, forwards it to
the Butte Creek Foundation for payment. The Butte Creek Foundation also
facilitates the achievement of other educational goals by paying for
textbooks, computers, and other education related items on a case-by-case
basis. This partnership began as a collaboration between a local
businesswoman and the estate planning attorney who administers her late
father’s trust. With the goal of furthering educational opportunities, the
family and attorney identified Butte County Drug Court participants as ideal
recipients of this special funding.
Six employees of Loafer Creek Land Management, an environmental
mitigation firm in Butte County, California, have donated their Christmas
bonuses to the Butte County Drug Court. The workers said they had all been
on the receiving end of charitable donations at some time in their lives,
whether for overcoming depression, conquering a personal drug addiction, or
assisting a relative with a drug problem. Each worker received a $1,500
bonus, and Loafer Creek Land Management firm matched the amount for a
total of $18,000. The judge who oversees the drug court dispersed the funds
through the Salvation Army and a women’s shelter for recovering drug
addicts in Chico. The money will also be used to buy toys, pizzas,
supermarket gift certificates, appointment books for drug court clients, and
other gifts and materials. According to the drug court judge, “It means a
great deal because it shows that people in the community do care about
people who are trying to better themselves. These are people who have lived
lives of addiction that have led them to financial ruin, who have been
excluded from the community. For them to now be able to have a Christmas
dinner, and small things like a pizza night out with their children, it makes
them feel included. Self-esteem is a very important thing in the recovery
process, and especially at Christmastime.’
Reilly, Dennis A. & Pierre-Lawson, Atoundra. (2008). Ensuring Sustainability for Drug Courts: AB
Overview of Funding Strategies. National Drug Court Institute Monograph Series,8, 80-82.