The participants included researchers, practitioners, and elected officials. An introduction by the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy notes that the dialogue was motivated by the knowledge that drug abusers are responsible for a disproportionate percentage of violent and property crime and that drug-related crime claims an increasing proportion of police and corrections resources. It also notes that participants recognized that incarcerating offenders and ignoring their drug problems simply delays their return to the community, where they will probably further harm themselves and society. Participants focused on treatment and rehabilitation in prisons and jails, community alternatives to incarceration, and post-incarceration transitional services and supervision. They also examined issues related to special groups such as females and people with dual diagnoses and policy and practical issues involved operating a statewide program of treatment and rehabilitation for drug-dependent offenders.