Connie M. Payne, who heads Kentucky Drug Court and other specialty court programs for the Administrative Office of the Courts, has been named to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Hall of Fame for her lasting contributions to the treatment court field.
Payne was inducted into NADCP’s Stanley M. Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame on July 12 during the association’s annual conference in Washington. This is the highest honor bestowed by the NADCP.
“Connie is a dynamic leader who has made a dramatic impact on countless lives across the nation,” Carolyn Hardin, NADCP chief of training and research, said during the induction ceremony.
“Her work in Kentucky has helped transform the way people with substance use and mental health disorders are treated, and there has been no better champion on Capitol Hill for treatment courts and recovery.”
Named in honor of the nation’s first Drug Court judge, the Goldstein Hall of Fame honors individuals whose work has not only improved individual treatment court programs but also enhanced the treatment court model and movement.
In Kentucky, treatment court programs are called specialty court programs.
“Connie’s compassion for people who suffer from substance use and mental health issues has been the impetus for her extraordinary leadership of Kentucky’s Drug Court program,” Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. said. “Treating substance abuse is inherently difficult and we’re fortunate to have her at the helm of our state’s specialty courts.
“Over the years, Connie has been a steady force for Drug Court as the program faced budget shortfalls, a historic opioid epidemic and the adoption of medication-assisted treatment. She’s worked with Drug Court judges and staff, legislators, and our state and national partners to help ensure the success and long-term viability of this critical program. She’s made the most of her unique position to advance the cause of specialty courts and is highly deserving of the NADCP’s highest honor.”
After 14 years of overseeing the Kentucky Drug Court program, Payne will retire from the court system on Aug. 31.
“Receiving the Goldstein Award is a fitting end to an exceptional career,” AOC Director Laurie K. Dudgeon said.
“Drug Court will continue to benefit from the many advancements Connie set in motion.”
Payne came to the AOC in 2003 to head the Kentucky Drug Court program and she has been instrumental in expanding the number of programs from nine to 54.
Today, Drug Court serves 113 of 120 counties. She has also overseen the implementation of five Veterans Treatment Courts, a Mental Health Court and a DUI Court, which are based on the Drug Court treatment model.
In 2015, the AOC created the Department of Specialty Courts to reflect the addition of these specialty courts. On the national level, she served as secretary of the NADCP Board of Directors from 2008-2015 and president of the Council of State Drug Court Associations from 2011-2012.
Payne was previously an assistant commonwealth’s attorney for nine years under Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson. While there, she was assigned to assist in developing the Fayette County Drug Court program. The policies and forms she helped create are still in use today by the state’s Drug Court programs.
Payne is the third Kentuckian to be inducted into the NADCP Hall of Fame. Supreme Court Justice Mary C. Noble (ret.) received the honor in 2004 and Court of Appeals Judge Debra Hembree Lambert received the honor in 2002 while serving as a Family Court judge for Lincoln, Pulaski and Rockcastle counties.
About Kentucky Drug Court Kentucky Drug Court is part of the court system’s Department of Specialty Courts, which is overseen by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
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