Pubdate: Thu, 31 Oct 2002
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (GA)
Copyright: 2002 Athens Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.onlineathens.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1535
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

SMALL TOWN EXPERIMENTS WITH A COURT FOR DRUG USERS

THUNDERBOLT (AP)-- Wendy Johnson lost her job and paid thousands in fines 
for a DUI arrest last March. But the 26-year-old says she looks forward to 
heading back to court twice a month. Johnson is one of the first graduates 
of an unusual court just for minor drug and alcohol offenders in this 
suburb of Savannah. The program aims to combine counseling with punishment 
to help minor offenders avoid more serious crimes down the road. "You feel 
good when you tell (the judge) the good things that have happened to you," 
Johnson said. "You walk out feeling good about yourself." The idea for 
Thunderbolt's drug court came when town officials sought a different way to 
handle a yearly load of about 300 criminal cases. Georgia's Administrative 
Office of the Courts granted the program $10,000 in startup money. "The 
hope is by providing them with education, counseling and treatment, that 
they will no longer be involved in the criminal justice system," said James 
Banks, drug-court coordinator for the state administrative office. There 
are already 19 drug courts in state, superior and municipal courts in 
Georgia, and another eight jurisdictions are considering them, Banks said. 
With a population of about 2,340, Thunderbolt has 40 people enrolled in its 
program. In the months since it started, 10 have left the drug court, 
either through their own volition or by getting kicked out. Thunderbolt 
officials said one of the program's major advantages is a speedy 
turnaround. Cases are usually heard within two weeks of arrest, more than 
twice as fast as many state court cases. Court Administrator Pat Flynn said 
the fast process means quicker help or quicker consequences -- a good thing 
for both offenders and the community. "It's an immediate response to an 
immediate need," Flynn said. The court costs $35,000 to $40,000 a year, all 
of which comes from the fees assessed to defendants. "For a city this size, 
I think we're doing a remarkable job," said Councilman John McKenna. 
Besides intensive supervision, which can include home electronic 
monitoring, the drug court also sends those who need it into an immediate 
drug-treatment program, including an inpatient, 28-day program if needed. A 
drug and alcohol counselor sits in on court and meets immediately with new 
defendants to set up their evaluations. Even with all the help, the drug 
court program can end up costing far less than jailing people. Kevin 
Street, the chief judge in Thunderbolt, said the program is working well so 
far. "The success with drug court is we put the keys to the jail in their 
hands," Street said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom