Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT) Copyright: 2005 The Salt Lake Tribune Contact: http://www.sltrib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383 Author: Janice Auger Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) DRUG COURT FACTS The Tribune's Aug. 18 article about substance abuse court programs left out some key information: * Defendants participate voluntarily after a careful explanation of all their options. * Recidivism is much less with SAC programs than with citations/fines. * Many, many participants in SAC programs have expressed gratitude to me and to my staff for becoming "clean and sober" and for "getting their lives back." * Costs paid by defendants for random drug tests, evaluations, treatment, etc., are subtracted from their court-ordered fines. * The article did not include all the mitigating circumstances in two cases it covered. People are entitled to their own opinions , but give them enough facts to build an informed opinion, not one skewed for some reason. Janice Auger, Mayor Taylorsville - --- MAP posted-by: Beth