Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY) Copyright: 2002 Messenger-Inquirer Contact: http://www.messenger-inquirer.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) MUHLENBERG GOING EXTRA MILE TO FIGHT DRUGS The expectations of the judicial system are pretty simple when it comes to dealing with those who break the law -- law enforcement are expected to arrest criminals, the commonwealth's attorney prosecutes them and a judge hands down a sentence if needed. If all each party did were meet these expectations, there would be little to complain about. But it's when officials go above and beyond the call of duty that communities flourish and quality of life is positively impacted. Such is the case in Muhlenberg County where a group of individuals, led by Circuit Judge David Jernigan, have taken the initiative to attack the county's drug problem through means other than solely punishment. The county's new drug court was opened Friday to five individuals with the goal that rehabilitation will reduce the number of repeat offenders. Joining Jernigan on the Drug Court team are Sheriff Jerry Mayhugh, Commonwealth's Attorney Ralph Vick, probation/parole officer Tommy Fauntleroy, public defender Paul Allen and Bruce Penrod, who is employed by the Pennyrile Mental Health Center in Greenville. Marianne Darity is the court's volunteer coordinator. The team will give their time to meeting with the Drug Court participants every Friday to review their cases and see that they are attending all appointments and counseling sessions. These people deserve praise, not only for their dedication, but also for their understanding that the area drug problem -- driven by methamphetamine -- is entrenched, and it's not going to disappear without extraordinary effort. Consider that in 1999 and 2000, of the 431 indictments returned in Muhlenberg County, 312 -- 72 percent -- included at least one drug charge. And that number doesn't even factor in the various crimes, such as burglaries, thefts and assaults that law enforcement say are more often than not driven by drug or alcohol use. For many, crime is the result of addiction, and these are the people drug court seeks to help. It's only open to those who have no history of violence or sex offenses and no drug-trafficking convictions. The recidivism rate for drug offenders is more than 30 percent, but national studies show that the rate for drug court graduates is between 2 and 20 percent. The court also saves money. Daviess County estimates the cost of treating a person in drug court at $2,500 a year, compared to about $16,000 to house an inmate in prison. Factoring in broader costs, some estimates say that for every $1 spent on drug court, $10 is saved in other areas. What Muhlenberg County and others who've started drug courts are trying to do is impact lives. The theory is that people can change the environment that led to their addiction without having to be taken out of society. Jernigan will require participants to find a job, enroll in GED classes if they don't have a high-school diploma, write and talk about their addictions and attend Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous meetings. What Muhlenberg County is doing isn't new -- there are more than 700 drug courts nationwide producing about 73,000 adult graduates -- but it's still a bold step. It's a message that, by whatever extra efforts necessary, the county is prepared to tackle a drug problem that has battered this region. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake