Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, July 22, 2001

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Henry Fawell Thursday, July 1 2, 200 1 202/225-306 1 Congressman Ehrlich Announces New Funding for Harford County to Treat Nonviolent Drug Offenders Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (MD-2) announced today that Harford County will receive a $166,000 federal grant to implement a drug court in Bel Air, Maryland for nonviolent criminal offenders with drug problems. This past spring, Congressman Ehrlich weighed in with the Department of Justice regarding Harford County’s request for the grant. Congressman Ehrlich stated, “The Justice Department’s Drug Court Program takes a tough, no- nonsense approach to criminals, while rehabilitating nonviolent offenders who suffer from drug addiction. Bel Air’s Drug Court is an important step in our efforts to foster safe, drug-free neighborhoods in Harford County.” Drug courts make communities a safer place by managing offenders’ behavior and breaking the cycle of drug addiction and crime. According to the Drug Court Clearinghouse at American University in Washington, more than 73,000 adults and 1,500 teens have graduated from drug court programs nationwide. Sixteen percent of the 1,910 juvenile arrests in Harford County last year were for alcohol and drug related problems. Drug court participants must take frequent drug tests and meet regularly with their judges, who monitor the offender’s treatment regimens and are authorized to impose graduation sanctions, including incarceration, on those who fail to comply with court rulings. Participants are involved in educational, vocational, and community service activities, and may have their charges dropped or sentences reduced upon graduation. Congressman Ehrlich continued, “I commend Harford County Executive Jim Harkins for his commitment to our children and our communities. I am confident that this partnership with the Department of Justice will serve as a model drug-prevention effort for all of Maryland.” ###