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WHAT IS A DRUG COURT?

Drug addiction is a driving force for people who commit crimes, prosecutors say.  The courthouse is a frequent stop for those people who cannot kick the drug habit and it results in spoken frustration from prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges.

Drug courts are meant to make sure that when the courtroom door shuts on a defendant who has abused drugs, it is the last time that person returns.  The country's first drug court was established in Dade County, FL, in 1989.  Virginia began working with the program in Roanoke in 1995.  Today, there are 26 drug courts in Virginia.

Plans to establish a drug court in Loudoun County started to come together in October 2003, when the Loudoun County Community Criminal Justice Board held a Drug Court Conference at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg.  The event brought experts from across the state and country to testify about the benefits of drug courts.  A year later, and with little fanfare, a pilot drug court program was established in Loudoun.

The Loudoun Adult Drug Court meets at 8 a.m.  every Wednesday and currently has nine participants ranging in age from their mid-20s to above 50.  Before the court opens, the "drug court team"--which consists of two judges, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, probation officers and therapists from of office of mental health and substance abuse--meets for an hour and reviews each participant's progress.

The Loudoun Adult Drug Court's mission is to enhance public safety by reducing the impact of drug-driven crime by providing a cost effective and accountable system of supervision and treatment.  To be eligible for the program, offenders must live in Loudoun, be on supervised probation for a felony conviction, have a pending violation related to their addiction, and have no violent prior felonies.  The participant pays $100 to be in drug court and for their treatment, a fee that is based on a sliding scale.  Participants are supervised daily and their attendance at drug court and therapy sessions is mandatory.  They have a curfew of 10 p.m.  to 5 a.m.  and they are not allowed to leave the state.  Loudoun's drug court has four phases, with the last phase having fewer court visits and less intense supervision.  In addition to the curfew restrictions, participants can face requirements to perform community service, attend more meetings and treatment sessions and comply with home electronic monitoring.  Positive or missed urine screens automatically involve immediate jail terms and it has happened in Loudoun's drug court, said Michelle White, the program's coordinator.

"If there are negative things to be dealt with then they will receive a sanction of some kind which can include incarceration," White said.  "Everyone understands the rules at the outset and we make certain of that.  Positive behavior is rewarded and negative behavior has specific results."

One of the main differences of a drug court and a normal Circuit Court criminal proceeding is the personal touch from the participants and the judges.  A drug court participant who is complying with the terms of the program earns praise from judges, promotion to a higher drug court phase, certificates for recognition and free movie passes.

"We also have given them travel mugs.  We can't do much because we don't have any money, but we try our best that they are rewarded for their pos behavior in the program.  Really the value from them on just praises from judges is just extraordinary," White said.

Each phase lasts no less than 90 days and after a year, the participant graduates in a ceremony that is joined by the judges and drug court team.  Sometimes it takes more than 12 months for a participant to graduate for various reasons, including lack of progress.

Many people who watch drug court say they like the personal touch each person brings to the process.  During each session, participants will stand up and discuss the events of their week.  During last week's drug court session, one man talked about how he had a "dark" day when the stresses of his construction job hit him hard.  As he pulled his truck over to the side of the road, the thought of returning to painkillers haunted him, until he was able to push the demons out.

"That was real hard," he told the judges.  "I was scared."

That same man has been sober nine months for the first time in his life, Circuit Court Judge Thomas D.  Horne said.  Horne presides over drug court with Circuit Court Judge Burke F.  McCahill.  Both support the innovative program.

The judges say that Loudoun's drug court is not an easy way out.  The supervision is more intense and keeping a job is a firm requirement.  Not only does a drug court force participants to speak openly about their addictions, it also forces them to become productive citizens.

The Drug Court Clearinghouse and Technical Assistance Project and the National Association for Drug Court Professionals say that drug courts reduce recidivism rates and are less expensive than traditional incarceration.

"They are held accountable daily, really," White said.  "They have daily requirements that they must fulfill.  They see their probation officers twice a week, they attend substance abuse sessions three times a week, they come to court once a week and they are expected to work everyday.  It's not easy.  To be honest, I don't think it would be easy for anyone."