Hillsborough County Superior Court-South’s Drug Court Named a National Mentor Treatment Court

Nashua, NH—Hillsborough County Superior Court-South’s Adult Drug Court has been recognized as a national mentor treatment court by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the U.S. Department of Justice. One of just ten courts in the nation to be given this honor, the Nashua Drug Court will receive an official award marking this distinction on Tuesday, April 5 at 2 p.m. at the Hillsborough Superior Court in Nashua.

National mentor courts serve a two-year term as model programs assisting new or growing courts. As part of the mentor court network for 2022-24, the Drug Court in Nashua will help to develop, identify, and test national best practices and provide technical assistance to jurisdictions interested in implementing an adult drug treatment court, including hosting site visits by team members from other jurisdictions around the country. Drug Courts in New Hampshire have been fully funded statewide as the result of a 2016 bipartisan legislative effort to combat the opioid epidemic.

“As a mentor court, this program is helping to transform our justice system and leading countless people who might otherwise be incarcerated into lives of long-term recovery,” said NADCP Chief of Training and Research Carolyn Hardin. “This program is a shining example of how a combination of accountability and treatment can save lives, reunite families, and make the community safer.”

“We are honored for the Nashua Drug Court to be among the ten recipients of this nationwide recognition,” noted Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau. “Drug courts in New Hampshire successfully work to reduce crime, enhance public safety, save money and return offenders to the community as contributing members.”

Superior Court Judge Jacalyn A. Colburn, who presides over the Nashua Drug Court, said, “As a National Mentor Treatment Court, we look forward to assisting other treatment courts from around the country in their efforts to follow evidence-based best practices. I’d also like to thank our partners in this effort: Greater Nashua Mental Health, NH Department of Corrections, Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, New Hampshire Public Defender, Nashua and Hudson Police Departments, among others.”

NADCP’s mentor court network is supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. To learn more, visit ndci.org/resource/training/visit-a-mentor-court/.