COUNTY DRUG COURT: WORTHY OF FEDERAL DOLLARS?

Rep. Rick Larsen wants to keep federal funds flowing to a program
that offers an alternative to jail for nonviolent adult offenders.

A young man who used to sleep in a plywood box in a barn now has an
apartment and is doing well.

He got a round of applause, even though he is behind paying for
court-ordered drug tests.

Another man, a newcomer to the Snohomish County adult drug court, was
asked by a judge how long he had been clean and sober.

"I'm on my second day now," he responded. More applause. That's the
kind of peer support that keeps many of those in drug court going.

On the side of the courtroom earlier this month recent drug court
session was a guest who was observing and learning. He wants to use
the Snohomish County Superior Court program as an example nationally
in his effort to restore federal funding for drug courts.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and an aide sat through Judge George
Bowden's adult drug court earlier this month. He also visited one of
the drug treatment providers used by the local drug court to help
people combat addiction.

Larsen was gathering ammunition for a battle in Congress to keep
federal dollars flowing to drug courts around the country. The money
also is used to train judges and others who run them.

"If you talk to these folks it's not a vacation at all, but they are
given the tools to be successful," Larsen said of the rigid program
that features sanctions, including short jail stints, for not staying
clean or attending support group meetings.

The congressman is co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus to Fight
and Control Methamphetamine. He testified last month in front of a
key budget committee on the importance of supporting drug courts, as
well as providing law enforcement agencies with the money they need
to fight drug trafficking.

The Bush Administration has proposed cutting all money for drug
courts and slashing funding to support detectives assigned to
operations such as the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force. Larsen
said he strongly supports treatment and law enforcement efforts to
lock up drug dealers.

Officially called Choosing Healthy Alternatives and Treatment, the
adult drug court is one of four now operating in Snohomish County.
Nonviolent addicts spend months attending drug court and
participating in treatment instead of going to jail for crimes.

There also are two drug courts in Snohomish County Juvenile Court,
one for young offenders and the other for teens thought to be at risk
of getting into trouble. In addition, there's a new "family" drug
treatment court started as a pilot project at the beginning of this
year to help parents who are addicted to drugs.

Federal grants are used to start drug courts, Bowden said. Federal
money also is used to train people who are involved in drug court
programs, he said.

Besides full-time staff members who screen potential candidates, a
judge, a prosecutor, a police officer and a public defender are part
of the staff that continually monitors the progress of
participants.

Public defender Marybeth Dingledy said it costs less in the long run
to put people through drug court than to toss them in jail.

"More importantly, it gets to a point where they can be proud of
themselves," Dingledy said. "It's pretty amazing to see people make
that transition from just staying in jail to changing
themselves."

Bowden estimated that there are about 2,000 drug courts now operating
around the country. Cutting federal funding would deter more from
starting up.

"If they have another 1,000 drug courts around the country, we'd all
be better off for it," Bowden said.

As part of his research, Larsen also visited Evergreen Manor, an
Everett substance abuse treatment facility, and talked with clients
who are or were in drug court.

"Frankly, the job of being in Congress is easy compared to the job of
recovering from addiction," Larsen said after talking with clients.
"They said their goal is not to stay clean but to get their lives
back. The people I talked to are well on their way to doing that."