ADDICTS GET NEW OPTION IN COURT

Guilty Plea, Rehab Let Them Have Charges Dropped

YORK -- Drug-addicted criminals who want to get clean will have that chance
through a new drug treatment court that begins today in York County.

The court will join four similar programs across the state that offer
nonviolent criminals treatment for addiction rather than sending them to
jail. The addicts plead guilty before entering the 12- to 18-month program.
If they complete it successfully, their charges are dismissed.

Advocates hope that over time, the program will reduce crime by eliminating
the addictions that drive many people to break the law. They say
traditional forms of punishment, such as incarceration or probation, often
are ineffective against drug addicts.

Drug dealers are not accepted into the program, and only non-violent drug
users qualify.

"The large majority of crimes - I'd venture to say 90 percent - from murder
to shoplifting, are alcohol-or drug-related," said 16th Circuit Solicitor
Tommy Pope. "We're trying to find a balance between those who are most
affected but still willing to help themselves."

Drug treatment court is an intense 12- to 18-month program. Participants
volunteer through a referral from their lawyer, a judge, police or another
agency. The solicitor's office helps decide whether the person qualifies.

Six days each week, participants are expected to attend therapy, Narcotics
Anonymous meetings and education programs. They will be tested for drugs
several times a week, and drug court staffers frequently will call
participants' employers and families to make sure they're following the
program.

Dropping the criminal charges is an incentive, Pope said.

"It's somewhat of a reward for the new life they're going to start," Pope said.

York County plans to spend about $250,000 to treat 30 people during the
next year. Advocates say the costs will outweigh the expense of putting
addicts in jail.

Officials with Keystone Substance Abuse Services in Rock Hill said
incarceration costs $55 to $60 a day per person, not including the money
lost when that person isn't working to support his or her family. They said
for every dollar invested in drug treatment, $7 is saved in health care
costs and crime reduction.

Keystone will handle much of the counseling and treatment for drug court
participants.

Marvin Brown, commander of the county's drug enforcement unit, said he
thinks the program will be helpful because officers frequently encounter
people who steal from loved ones or sell drugs to support a habit.

"If we can solve their problem, then we've solved our problem," Brown said.
"Don't get me wrong, (treatment court is) not for everyone. You have to
want to do it. For some people, it will be easier for them to go to jail
and pay their fine."