Administered by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts since 1979, the Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) is a national program that guides U.S. probation and pretrial services officers in identifying and treating the substance abusers under their supervision. The program's goal—to promote abstinence from drugs and alcohol—is achieved through close supervision, drug testing, and appropriate treatment. The SATP enables officers, some of whom are substance abuse specialists, to supervise substance-abusing defendants and offenders in the community and to ensure public safety while doing so.

Treatment is most often provided through community programs, some of which may have a contract with the United States courts. The Director of the Administrative Office, under 18 U.S.C.§ 3672, has the authority to "contract with any appropriate public or private agency or person for the detection of and care in the community of an offender who is an alcohol-dependent person, an addict, or a drug-dependent person. . . . " Approximately 2,400 contractors nationwide currently provide substance abuse services. Contracts are awarded through a competitive process. The specialist serves as coordinator of treatment services, matching the defendant or offender with appropriate treatment providers, monitoring the person's progress in and compliance with treatment, controlling treatment and testing funds, and overseeing the various treatment providers.

Ideally, treatment makes a drug- or alcohol-abusing defendant or offender better able to function in the community. It can motivate individuals to abstain from drugs or alcohol and teach them to cope without using these substances. It can influence a person to become a productive member of society rather than a drain on community resources. Treatment provides a way for officers to monitor and control defendants' and offenders' behavior. It therefore helps officers protect the public and reduce the risk that substance-abusing individuals will commit future crime--for instance, that they will resort to robbery or assault to support their drug use.