Philadelphia Treatment Court

Public Health Management Corporation, with funding from OAS, provides evaluation and case management services to offenders brought before Philadelphia Treatment Court (PTC). PTC offers first time drug felony offenders an opportunity to be evaluated for substance abuse treatment and, if treatment is needed, to plead nolo contendere to their crime, enter a treatment program under close judicial supervision, which requires frequent court appearances, to avoid incarceration. With a plea of no contest or nolo contendere, the defendant accepts the punishment for the crime without admitting or denying his guilt. In other words, you don’t contest or challenge the charges, and you don’t admit to committing the crime or even deny it, but you let the court sentence you for committing the crime.

Program completion qualifies the participant to have his/her criminal record expunged after remaining arrest-free for one year. Failure to complete the treatment and requirements may result in incarceration.