Underlying Charge & Sentence:
Possession and under the influence of methamphetamines.
New Charges:
Burglary, receiving stolen property, and possession of drug paraphernalia (syringes without a prescription & heroine hype kit).
Result:
Trial judge disregarded DA’s demands, and referred defendant to drug court in lieu of jail or prison.
Adult Drug Court:
The four-phase Drug Court program consists of intensive supervision by a Drug Court probation officer, individual and group counseling provided by the Health Care Agency’s Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, frequent court appearances, random drug and alcohol testing, and regular team meetings to discuss the participant’s progress.
As participants progress through the phases, they are held accountable to program requirements. If they are non-compliant, they can receive sanctions ranging from an essay, community service, jail sanction, to program termination. Participants are also rewarded with incentives for positive behavior, such as phase advancements, decreased program requirements, drawings for movie tickets, and program graduation.
In order to graduate participants are required to obtain their high school diploma or a GED; to be gainfully employed or attending a training/academic program; to attend regular self-help meetings, and to have maintained consistent attendance at all court hearings, probation and counseling appointments.
Pros of Adult Drug Court:
Drug court allows cooperation between county and government systems to help an individual on a legal, social, and health/medical basis. As it deals with individuals, adult drug court recognizes that their drug abuse problem is not an isolated circumstance. It is just a symptom of a deeper underlying problem that needs addressing. Drug court not only deals with a person’s substance abuse problems, but they work to prepare the person for life after release of program with things such as job skills and training.
Since drug courts only manage drug-related offenses they can better chart the progress of their offenders and the program. Research has shown that those who participate and complete the drug court program have a lower rate of becoming repeat offenders as oppose to those who fore go this type of program.
