SOAR WINNER

Each year for the past several years, the Oklahoma Department of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services staff has had the
daunting task of selecting the best drug court in the state, said
Linda Chapman, ODMHSAS drug court clinical specialist.

Last week, the Cleveland County Drug Court program was presented
with the 2007 SOAR award. The trophy -- in the form of a golden
eagle -- designates the program as the best drug court in Oklahoma.

"SOAR is not an acronym, the SOAR is just like the soar of an
eagle," Chapman said. "We have 54 drug courts in the state's 77
counties and -- as corny as it might sound -- Cleveland County's
drug court soars above the rest, because they really have the whole
drug court package. They really excel."

The award was presented Friday to several drug court team members
attending the 19th annual Substance Abuse Conference awards luncheon
at the Southern Hills Marriott in Tulsa. The conference and awards
luncheon are sponsored annually by ODMHSAS and the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration.

"We're obviously thrilled," said Assistant District Attorney Michael
Tupper. "The award is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of
all our team members, and it's nice to be recognized in this manner."

Tupper said the drug court allows qualifying, non-violent drug
offenders to accept treatment and other conditions instead of a
prison sentence. The defendant is required to plead guilty up front.
The sentence is imposed but put on hold.

Participants meet weekly with District Judge Tom Lucas, the drug
court's presiding district judge, Tupper, the prosecuting attorney,
defense attorneys, mental health workers and other team members.

"David Stockwell and Richard Wall have acted as pro bono defense
attorneys since the inception of the drug court," Chapman said.

Other drug court team members include representatives of the Norman
Alcohol Information Center and the Central Oklahoma Community Mental
Health Center.

Drug court participants must attend individual and group therapy for
substance abuse counseling, attend support group meetings, be
employed or performing community service work, and subject
themselves to random drug tests and nightly curfews. Violators can
be sent directly to jail for not following the rules, he said.

Lucas said drug addicts and alcoholics have a "tendency to try and
beat the program and the system."

Eventually they are caught and confronted with their behavior.
Sanctions are imposed. It's then the turnaround often occurs, he said.

"They realize we're trying to help them, and begin to understand
that rules have meaning, purpose," he said.

Lucas said the drug court program has seen "remarkable progress" in
the past year, since the DA's office added two more investigators to
monitor the whereabouts and conditions of drug court participants.
Investigators include Donnie Anderson, Rhett Burnett and Neil
Hamilton, he said.

"The drug court program is about the gatekeeper -- the Cleveland
County District Attorney's Office -- and the support they give the
program through their attorneys, investigators, coordinators and the
treatment team.

"They've all done an outstanding job, and the award is a tribute to
them and the dedication they've provided," Lucas said.

Since the Cleveland County Drug Court was established in April 2000,
84 participants have graduated, said Danielle Williams, drug court
administrator for the Cleveland County District Attorney's Office.
The drug court program currently lists 117 active participants, she said.

Defendants have avoided serving hundreds of years in prison terms
and completed thousands of hours of community service.

Tupper said statistics show about 85 percent of Oklahoma's inmates
are in prison for crimes related to the use of alcohol or drugs.

The cost of one year of minimum-security incarceration is estimated
at $16,126, while the cost of one year in drug courts is about
$5,000, he said.

"Drug court team members take pride in what they're doing, and this
award validates their work," Tupper said.