EXPERT ADVOCATES DRUG COURT SYSTEM

A national expert on drug courts told local officials Wednesday that
rehabilitating drug offenders works better than locking them away.

"Only 10 percent of graduates in Denver's drug court are re-offenders
after the first year," said Bill Ritter, the district attorney for
Denver, and a national expert on drug courts. "Compare that to 50 to 55
percent recidivist rate for those who complete regular probation."

Drug courts emphasize a closely monitored treatment program instead of
jail time for many people arrested on drug charges, officials said.

Hamilton County District Attorney Bill Cox is in favor of starting a
drug court here. He and other local officials will take part in a
federal training session on drug courts this summer to find out what
sorts of drug courts are working well, he said.

Mr. Cox said the next step would be applying for federal grant money to
start a program here.

"I think Denver's drug court is a good approach," he said. "This is just
one model. We may end up with a hybrid of what Mr. Ritter has or make
something better."

Mr. Ritter said there is about $50 million in federal grant money
available for drug courts. But the bad news is that more than 700 drug
courts across the country will be competing for that money, he said.

Chattanooga Police Chief Jimmie Dotson said Wednesday's meeting at the
Police Services Center was a "call to action to see where we want to
go."

Mr. Ritter said establishing a drug court wouldn't work unless "you have
a judge as a champion."

City Judge Walter Williams said he and others had discussions five years
ago about establishing a drug court here.

"You saw the statistics," Judge Williams said. "It's alarming."

Chief Dotson said about 10 percent of the 10,000 arrests made last year
by Chattanooga police officers were for drug offenses. He said that with
only 600 beds in the Hamilton County Jail, many drug offenders are put
out on the streets.

"About 80 percent of our resources goes to reacting against drug-related
crimes," he said. "We can keep throwing things in this big hole, or we
can do something else.

"This problem has engulfed all our communities, and it's not going to go
away unless you and I get involved."