Pubdate: Sun, 10 Jan 2010
Source: Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA)
Copyright: 2010 Globe-Gazette
Contact: http://www.globegazette.com/help/contact_us/letter_to_editor/
Website: http://www.globegazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1568
Author: Peggy Senzarino, Staff Writer

ADVOCATES RUE LOSS OF COMMUNITY DRUG COURT

MASON CITY - People connected with the Community Drug  Court in Mason
City say the state is being penny-wise  and pound foolish in cutting
the program in light of  the state's economic problems.

"What's frustrating is that I understand that sometimes 
across-the-board cuts just have to be done," said Judge  James Drew.
"There is no other way to do something  quickly.

"But I don't think there is any question that drug  court was saving
the state of Iowa money, and more  importantly it was literally saving
lives," Drew said.

Mason City's Community Drug Court was cut effective  Jan. 1, a victim
of dwindling state funds, according to  Linda Murken, director of the
Second Judicial District  Department of Correctional Services.

"What we had to look at quite frankly was saving money  and looking at
the number of people programs serve,"  Murken said.

About $1.1 million was cut from the district's budget  through unpaid
furloughs, holding positions vacant and  some reduction in treatment
programs.

The Community Drug Court provided intensive  supervision,
accountability and treatment to drug  offenders who may be in their
homes, at treatment  centers or in minimum security facilities such as
Beje  Clark Residential Facility in Mason City.

The average offender sentenced to drug court was in the  program 18
months.

A participant agreed to complete drug treatment,  maintain employment
and a stable home environment and  remain drug and alcohol free.

Community panels made up of North Iowa residents  monitored the
participants progress, providing advice  and resources when needed.

"We very successfully worked with higher risk offenders  whose
criminal behavior stemmed from abuse of  substances," Murken said.

"The program was targeted toward treatment and holding  them
accountable with intensive supervision and  intensive treatment."

The community panels held "people's feet to the fire,"  he
said.

Drug court in Mason City was serving about 25 people  when the program
was cut.

Murken said the people who were in the program as of  Dec. 31 will
continue to receive supervision and  substance abuse treatment services.

"We will do our best for them and by them," Murken said.

But the community panels which provided support and  accountability
are gone.

Lionel Foster was been a drug court panel member since  the program
started in Mason City nearly nine years  ago.

Foster said the program costs the state about $100,000  but it saves
between $30,000 and $35,000 per  participant by keeping them out of
prison.

"It wasn't a very expensive program compared to what we  were saving
the state by keeping the individuals out of  jail," Foster said.

Drug court was a last stop for high-risk offenders who  would normally
be on their way to prison.

"The human side of it is that those individuals decided  that our
program helped them to get clean and become  productive citizens,
Foster said.

"Just sticking people in prison or in an institution  really doesn't
help them in the end unless they are  really bad people."

Murken said about 50 percent of the people who entered  drug court
completed the program.

"It was successful because it was an alternative to  simply sending
people with addiction issues to prison,"  said Judge Drew. "It was an
intensive probation program  with a treatment component to it.

"You know, not everybody got through it, but a lot of  people did.
These people are now leading productive  lives as tax-paying
citizens," Drew said.

Jay Hansen, director of Prairie Ridge Addiction  Treatment Services in
Mason City, said it is  unfortunate that the program was cut.

"This provided a forum for both the criminal justice  system and the
treatment community and community panel  members to give people who
were interested in recovery  some chances to help them avoid jail,"
Hansen said.

Murken said if and when the situation improves, she  hopes the
department can consider reinstating the drug  court.

"When it does happen I really hope that we do look at  the programming
that we suspended or stopped doing,  what things had the most promise,
the best outcome and  then look at those and do some prioritizing."
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr