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
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MAP posted-by: Beth