$300G FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS HUB AREA DRUG COURTS

Boston's innovative drug courts that mix drug tests with intense treatment
and monitoring for non-violent offenders received a $300,000 shot in the
arm from the Department of Justice yesterday.

The federal money, which came as funding was about to expire, will keep
drug courts in Roxbury, South Boston, Brighton and Chelsea operating for
two more years. The grant is expected to serve about 500 non-violent offenders.

"It has been successful. The grant will allow the drug courts to take on
more defendants," Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said
yesterday. "It's not an easy program. It's no joke."

The minimum one-year program, in place since 1999, is aimed at non-violent
drug users. Addicts go through a rigorous program of treatment, counseling
and intense monitoring. Drug tests are frequent.

"First and foremost, we aggressively prosecute drug dealers and drug
pushers, we treat those seriously. But I do recognize in certain
circumstances that treatment is the better approach," Conley said.

Of the first four classes that went through the program in Roxbury, 77
percent have remained free of criminal convictions.