Edward Fitzpatrick, a Journal reporter who covers state and federal courts, and John Freidah, a Journal photographer, have received a national award for the seven-part series “A Mother’s Addiction.”

Fitzpatrick and Freidah won the Print Media Award, in the local news category, from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. Their May 2006 series chronicled Tania Cabral’s efforts to regain custody of her daughter through the Family Treatment Drug Court.

Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the former U.S. drug “czar,” will present the award to Fitzpatrick and Freidah on Friday in Washington, D.C. Fitzpatrick will also participate in a panel discussion on “Drug Courts and Recovery in the Media,” along with Mary Otto of the Washington Post, who won the Print Media Award in the national category.

The association also gave local and national awards for television productions.

The national award went to HBO for its 14-part documentary on addiction. That award will bring another Rhode Islander to Washington — former state Sen. Thomas R. Coderre, D-Pawtucket, who was the subject of a 2005 Journal story about his recovery from cocaine addiction. Coderre is national field director of Faces & Voices of Recovery, one of three collaborating organizations being honored for their role in the HBO series.