Ray, Jamie Foxx Among Winners of 9th Annual PRISM Awards

NIDA Deputy Director Tim Condon (third from left) with (from left) Dwayne Proctor and Kristin Schubert of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, actors Gerald McRaney and Michele Lee, and Brian Dyak of the Entertainment Industries Council at the 9th annual PRISM awards in Los Angeles.

The movie Ray and actor Jamie Foxx are two of the winners in the 9th annual PRISM Awards, which recognize accurate depictions of drug and alcohol abuse in television, film, video, music, and comic book entertainment.

NIDA Deputy Director Timothy Condon participated in the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on April 28. NIDA is a sponsor of the awards, in partnership with the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc., The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and FX Networks.

Ray won the award in the "wide release feature film" category for its realistic portrayal of musician Ray Charles's addiction to drugs. Jamie Foxx won for his performance in the film's title role. The winning limited-release feature film was A Love Song for Bobby Long, in which a teenager returns to her childhood home in Florida to find two down-and-out men living there. Alcoholism plays a prominent role in the film.

All My Children (daytime drama multi-episode), Desperate Housewives (comedy multi-episode), Dr. Phil (talk show episode), ER (drama episode), and Lost (drama multi-episode) were among the TV programs that received awards for accurately depicting drug abuse. Actors who received top honors for their performances include Ray Liotta (drama episode), Christine Lahti (drama storyline), Katey Sagal (comedy series), and Justine Waddell (TV movie).

Winners in other categories include:

• NBC's The More You Know, for community service effort;
• Bright Leaves, for the PRISM film festival;
• Untold, for its "Darryl Strawberry" TV biographical series episode or special;
• Gracie's Choice, for TV movie or miniseries;
• Relative Evil, for direct-to-video production; and
• Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss for the music recording and music video Whiskey Lullaby.

"These productions give our findings faces and lives, and this broadening of scientific knowledge throughout the public is critical to improving the overall health of the nation," NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow said in a statement published in the awards program.

A list of all PRISM Award winners is available at http://www.prismawards.com. The awards ceremony aired September 4 on the FX cable network.

Speakers at a Capitol Hill briefing on drugs and crime included (clockwise from center bottom) NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Dr. Dwayne Simpson of Texas Christian University, Mr. Dexter Manley of Second Genesis Inc., and Representative Patrick Kennedy.

Breaking the Cycle of Drugs and Crime

Drug abuse among convicts could be reduced significantly if criminal justice supervision and drug treatment were better integrated, NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow told a gathering on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Volkow spoke at a March 15 briefing before congressional staff and members of organizations active in drug abuse research and treatment. The briefing was sponsored by the Friends of NIDA (FNIDA), a coalition of private-sector organizations in the drug abuse field that support NIDA's mission.

Research demonstrates that treatment for individuals in the criminal justice system decreases their future drug use and criminal behavior and improves social functioning. "Treatment works, even when it is not voluntary," Dr. Volkow said.

Many of the 6.9 million adults in the U.S. criminal justice system need treatment—by one estimate, up to 85 percent of State inmates—but relatively few receive treatment while incarcerated. Legal pressure is an effective mechanism for getting offenders to enter treatment and stick with it, Dr. Volkow said. "Aftercare"—community-based treatment upon release, along with case management and referral to medical and social services—is a crucial component of treatment, she emphasized.

Volume 20, Number 3 (October 2005)