Wednesday, November 13, 2019

UNCW has received $1.6M in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to transition the National Drug Court Resource Center (NDCRC) to North Carolina. Currently housed at the Justice Programs Office at American University, the NDCRC is the country’s primary resource hub for problem-solving courts, including adult and juvenile drug courts, tribal healing-to-wellness courts, DWI courts and family treatment courts. The grant was awarded to sociology and criminology professors Kristen DeVall and Christina Lanier.

“NDCRC’s work influences the development, expansion and enhancement of problem-solving court programs across the country,” said DeVall. “It provides research support, legislative updates and training materials on emerging topics in the field.”

Housing the NDCRC at UNCW will increase the university’s visibility within the field of problem-solving courts,and graduate students from two disciplines will have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty to produce research-driven information and resources. Advancing research and enhancing applied learning experiences are key pillars of the university’s Strategic Plan.

“Overseeing the NDCRC will allow us the opportunity to expand our focus to include examining trends within problem-solving courts at national, regional, state and local levels,” said DeVall. “We can then provide a wide range of stakeholders with empirical data and help develop programming that not only aligns with identified standards, but incorporates evidence-based practices and meets the needs of the target populations.” 

In addition to DeVall, several other faculty members played a part in obtaining this grant for UNCW including Ron Vetter, computer science; Sally MacKain, psychology; and Jeanne Persuit, communication studies.

-- Christina Schechtman

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