DRUG COURT'S SUCCESS PRAISED

SCHENECTADY - The county drug court does a good job of preventing recidivism
and rehabilitating those convicted of drug crimes, but the program is
woefully understaffed and needs a new computer system, according to a Union
College audit of the countywide program.

Otherwise, cases could potentially fall to the wayside.

The audit was released this spring after the third anniversary of the drug
court's founding. A U.S. Department of Justice grant funds the program and
requires that an independent agency audit it annually, and then every three
years if renewed. The three-year grant, for $436,696, runs out this year.

Ronald Butler, who has directed the Schenectady County Drug Court since its
March 2002 inception, disagreed with the report's findings from the court's
first three years.

"Right now, I think we're doing well with the staffing," said Butler, who is
one of three counselors. As for the computer system, he said it works fine
for his staff and is just not as easy to use as the evaluators wanted.

In addition to the findings, the report also provides a look at who the drug
court benefits most.

Successful graduates of the program tend to be older, in their 30s, compared
with program drop-outs, who are often in their late 20s, according to the
audit. Those who finish are usually white and less likely to rely on welfare
than those who do not complete the course. They have more education than
their peers, the audit said - no college graduate has failed the course,
while those who never finished high school are less likely to pass.

Butler said whites are more often sent to drug court for
driving-while-intoxicated infractions, while blacks and Hispanics tend to be
in the court after arrests stemming from the abuse of harder drugs like
crack and heroin.

The report also lauded the low recidivism rate. Fewer than 15 percent of
graduates face a judge again. The drug court has also increased connections
with women's services groups to provide treatment for women who also have
suffered sexual abuse.

Drug courts have been around since the late 1980s, when officials in Dade
County, Fla., sought a way to lessen the burden of drug cases on the court
system and help those convicted on drug-related charges.

From the mid-1990s, drug courts have spread across New York state. The four
main counties in the Capital Region - Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer and
Saratoga - have them.

The Schenectady County Drug Court has two sections. A city drug court
handles misdemeanor drug crimes committed by city residents. A countywide
court can handle the cases of any Capital Region resident convicted of a
felony drug crime in Schenectady County. Judges sentence the convicted to
the drug court program, agreeing to drop the charges if those convicted
finish the course that mixes education, court appearances, employment
assistance and rehabilitation. The lesser city court offers a 12-month
program; the other, an 18-month program.

A Union College research team surveyed graduates and examined records
related to the court from its beginning through March 1 of this year.

The report also shows the county court is in line with a statewide study the
Manhattan-based Center for Court Innovation completed 18 months ago. The
center found that statewide, most drug court participants were in their late
20s or early 30s, began using drugs as teenagers and face serious
socioeconomic disadvantages.

The longer the drug use, and the poorer the participant, the more likely the
failure, the statewide report found. The same holds true for Schenectady.

Butler said he plans to reapply for the federal grant this year.