The arkansas administrative office of the courts seeks federal funds over 48 months for a statewide enhancement award

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program (CFDA 16.585), awarded a $2,500,000 grant to the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to enhance the state's adult drug courts over a 48-month period. The key products and services to be delivered under this Project Grant award include:

Conducting the Arkansas Statewide Specialty Court Conference, creating and disseminating specialty court role-specific training videos, enhancing the statewide data collection/information management system, implementing a validated risk and need assessment tool statewide, updating the Arkansas Drug Court Standards/Benchmarks to reflect the newly revised National Standards, revising the statewide drug court certification protocol, and conducting statewide certification of drug courts. These enhancements are focused on the state's 46 adult drug courts, which operate under pre-, post-, and hybrid-adjudication models as part of Arkansas' 95 specialty courts.

While other specialty courts may benefit from this enhancement, the proposed enhancements are focus on adult drug courts. Arkansas has a total of 95 specialty courts, 46 of which are adult drug courts, and include pre-, post-, and hybrid-adjudication models. The grant application proposes seven enhancements: conduct the arkansas statewide specialty court conference ; create and disseminate specialty court role-specific training videos; enhance the statewide data collection/information management system; implement a validated risk and need assessment tool statewide; update the arkansas drug court standards/benchmarks to reflect the newly revised national standards; revise the statewide drug court certification protocol; and conduct statewide certification of drug courts.