The Department of Alcohol and Drug Studies at San José City College offers courses for probation, parole, and alcohol and drug counseling professionals who are monitoring addicted offenders. As a result of state prison overcrowding, increased funding has been made available to offer community addiction treatment for those under correctional supervision. In response, there has been a change in addiction treatment culture in Santa Clara County. Substance abuse and probation/parole professionals providing the supervision require cross-training. With changing laws regarding sentencing and release, reduced sentencing guidelines, and the Affordable Care Act further utilization of addiction treatment will be necessary to meet the needs of the criminal justice system.

The Addiction and Criminal Justice Certificate of Specialization provides insight into the criminal justice and recovery cultures, explains the overlap of addiction and criminality, explores the impact of co-occurring disorders, and outlines the criminal justice system and options for effective interventions with this challenging population.

All courses in the certificate must be completed at San José City College. A grade of "C" or better is required in each course. Completed courses will appear on student's transcripts. However, the Certificate of Specialization will only appear on documents obtained directly through the Alcohol and Drug Studies Department.