RD28 - Report on the Status and Effectiveness of Offender Drug Screening, Assessment and Treatment


Executive Summary:
In 1998, Virginia’s General Assembly passed House Bill 664 and Senate Bill 317 (HB664/SB317) enacting the Drug Offender Screening, Assessment, and Treatment (DSAT) initiative. The DSAT legislation, subsequently amended in 1999, outlined specific substance abuse screening and assessment provisions that became effective for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000. These provisions, contained in §§ 16.1-273, 18.2-251.01, 19.2-299, and 19.2-299.2 of the Code of Virginia, target three offender groups, including juveniles, adult felons, and adult misdemeanants. Because several different types of offenders are subject to the Code mandates, the initiative affects staff and clients of numerous agencies, including the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ); the Department of Corrections (DOC); local community-based probation and pretrial services programs administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS); the Commission on Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP); and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS).