Pubdate: Mon, 11 Dec 2000
Source: Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Copyright: 2000 Casper Star-Tribune
Contact:  P.O. Box 80, Casper, WY 82602-0080
Fax: (307) 266-0568
Website: http://www.trib.com/

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS DRUG COURT FUNDING

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- A legislative committee agreed to sponsor a bill that
would help create more drug courts in Wyoming.

Drug courts are aimed at helping nonviolent drug offenders overcome
addiction through intensive treatment and close monitoring and without
prison or jail time.

"This bill is really providing additional treatment to solve the problem,"
Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said.

Law enforcement officials have found drug courts are better at reducing
recidivism, or repeat offenses, than jail sentences.

Supporters also say drug courts are not adversarial because law enforcement,
defense attorneys and prosecutors work together, and that the judge is more
involved, meeting regularly with offenders.

The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee voted unanimously
Friday to give the state Health Department $1.5 million to help counties,
with support of up to $200,000 per year, to operate drug courts.

Drug courts are now used in Lincoln, Sheridan and Uinta counties.

Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Director Tom Pagel said about 45
percent of the people his agents arrest have been previously charged with
drug involvement.

The key, he said, is "breaking the cycle of substance abuse, which also
breaks the cycle of criminal activity. In most drug courts, the recidivism
rate is decreasing 50 to 80 percent."

Drug courts provide useful treatment for those who cooperate, and for those
who don't, "they get the hard time," Sen. Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, said.

Under the proposal, counties would establish drug court management
committees comprising a circuit court judge, prosecutor, defense attorney,
monitor and representative of treatment providers.

The state would establish a drug court panel of directors comprising the
state departments of Health, Family Services and Corrections, along with the
state public defender, the attorney general and other state officials.

The state panel would oversee and provide funding for drug courts based on
meeting minimum standards in the proposed law and rules to be developed by
the Department of Health.

The legislative panel also agreed to support a proposal to give the Health
Department $300,000 to create a substance abuse control plan for prevention,
early intervention, and treatment to reduce drug and alcohol abuse in
Wyoming.
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