On December 7–9, 1999, Barry McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, along with Attorney General Janet Reno, and Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, convened the National Assembly on Drug and Alcohol Abuse and the Criminal Offender. The Assembly brought together the top experts, officials, and representatives from around the country to establish and implement policies which will shift America's current system of dealing with drug offenders.