FINALLY, A SOBER APPROACH TO DRUG CRIMES

The Augusta Judicial Circuit's new drug court will try to fix what's
causing up to 80 percent of crime

You know that commercial where the cell phone customer is being
shadowed by an army of cell phone company employees?

In a smaller way, and for a much different purpose, that's what a
select group of drug offenders are going to experience starting later
this month in the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

Officials are creating a drug court in Richmond and Columbia counties,
and later in Burke County, to help reduce drug-related crimes -- those
directly involving illegal drugs, and those inspired by the drugs.
Together, they account for perhaps 80 percent of all crime.

Drug court will provide the drug-dependent criminals who qualify with
two years of intensive monitoring by a variety of departments and
agencies, frequent drug checks, and treatment and guidance to get off
and stay off drugs.

It all comes with a cost -- to the offender, for once. To be accepted
into the program -- which allows offenders to avoid jail -- they will
have to pay $150 a month.

The court has already contracted with a local treatment agency,
Bradford Health Services. And the program involves the district
attorney's office, public defender's office, sheriff's departments,
probation office and the judges.

But even they can't do it alone.

For this to work, we'll have to help.

The folks will need safe, secure and sober places to live, perhaps
some help with transportation and jobs, and maybe other forms of moral
support if nothing else. Churches, civic groups, businesses and others
will be needed to step up and add modest amounts of help to the program.

Cynics may scoff at the notion of doing anything for a criminal.
Realists will answer: OK, just don't complain next time an addict
breaks in or holds you up. Warehousing drug addicts doesn't work,
never has. It's about time we tried to break the cycle and fix the
problem.

For years, society has argued about whether drugs were a criminal or
public health problem. Well, they're both. And this program treats it
that way, with the stick of the judicial system and the carrot of
recovery and the hope of life change.

Supporters of the drug court are mindful, too, of the spiritual aspect
of recovery, just as Alcoholics Anonymous is.

Besides, what we're asking the offenders to do is spend their own
money to get on their feet -- and stop costing us money and heartache.

If it works, officials hope more than 80 percent of the offenders stay
straight and sober.

That would be doing more for us than for them.

To inquire about getting involved, call drug court coordinator Ted
Wiggins at 706-823-4424.