Pubdate: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 Source: Desert Dispatch, The (Victorville CA) Copyright: 2005 Desert Dispatch Contact: http://www.desertdispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3218 Author: Justin Boggs/Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) YOUTH DRUG COURT LAUNCHES VICTORVILLE -- Juvenile Drug Court, an innovative system designed to provide intensive drug treatment to young offenders and impose immediate consequences for violations, launches Wednesday. High Desert Juvenile Drug Court -- the only program of its kind in San Bernardino County -- will require young drug offenders to have court appearances and contact with their probation officer each week. A kid must face a judge in juvenile court within a week if they are caught violating their probation terms. "It's the immediate consequences that make the difference in this program," said Judge Margaret Powers. Though Juvenile Drug Court will impose immediate consequences, the program's aim will be to help kids with a drug problem create lifestyle changes. Aside from educating kids about the dangers of drug use, the treatment provided will help kids resolve issues that lead them to use drugs in the first place. The four-phase, yearlong program is offered to those ages 12 to 17. The offender must live within the Victor Valley Unified School District or Adelanto. The court plans to later expand the program to include other High Desert areas, Powers said. Rhonda Morken, founder of One 2 One Mentors in Victorville, will be the primary treatment coordinator for Juvenile Drug Court. Kids who become involved with drugs are often exposed to them at home and have a hard escaping a user's mindset, she said. "We want to introduce kids to things that will give them alternatives to using drugs," Morken said. "We want kids to step out of their comfort zones and out of the party scene find a way to implement a lifestyle change. The best way to break old habits is to create new ones." Dance classes, exercise classes and community functions are some of the things Morken plans to introduce to the kids she will help. Morken said as the program develops, she wants to find members of the community to help provide structured activities for Juvenile Drug Court participants. Offenders will be required to attend addiction counseling up to nine hours a week. There will be random drug-testing supervised by probation officers. Kids will also have to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings with other program participants. These will be special NA meetings attended by only juveniles, though the meetings will be led by a qualified adult. "I really believe in the 12-step program," Powers said. Incentives will be offered for positive performance. Powers feels this will be more effective than just using consequences for negative performance. Incentives include movie passes, gift certificates sobriety tokens and praise by the court. There are stiff consequences for Juvenile Drug Court participants who misbehave or do not take the program seriously. Offenders who relapse, cut class, violate probation or misbehave at home or school face community service sentences, time in juvenile hall and removal from the program. As a youth progresses through the program, less contact with authorities and counselors will be required. An offender who completes each phase of the program without relapse or behavior problems could potentially be dismissed in 271 days. For the duration, offenders will remain on supervised probation. Since the program lasts a maximum of one year, offenders will have the chance to be released from probation early since many crimes would otherwise carry a sentence several years probation. Kids who complete the Juvenile Drug Court program will have the charges against them dismissed. Powers said in some cases, she will be able to seal the juvenile's court records. To be eligible for Juvenile Drug Court, offenders must not have violent criminal history, major criminal offenses or gang affiliations in their background. Only offenders with serious substance abuse problems will be considered and the program is voluntary. Juvenile Drug Court will launch with initially with five or seven participants, said Powers. In a short time, Juvenile Drug Court will work with 30 to 40 new offenders each month, she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman