WHITE PLAINS TO START DRUG COURT

WHITE PLAINS -- A national court program designed to help nonviolent drug
offenders kick their habits and turn their lives around is coming to White
Plains.

Drug court, which uses a team approach to try to help drug addicts, is
expected to open in the city in October. The program, in which specially
trained judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and substance-abuse
professionals work together for qualified suspects who agree to plead
guilty, is already in place in Yonkers and Mount Vernon. Rockland and
Putnam counties also have drug courts, and Greenburgh is planning to start
the program in the fall.

The special courts get nonviolent addicts out of jail and help them to
overcome addiction, get schooling and find jobs.

"Drug courts across the country have had an incredible rate of success
based on the interplay between the prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers and
the others involved," said Westchester District Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
"This is another tool to fight the plague of drugs in Westchester County.
It's a way to make sure that drug addicts get the treatment they need and
to keep them away from the drug dealers."

A Columbia University study of 75 drug courts found that while drug addicts
who go through the traditional court system have a recidivism rate of
between 36 percent and 66 percent, the rate for drug users who complete the
drug court program is between 4 percent and 26 percent. More than 1,000
drug courts have been established nationwide since 1989, including about 40
in New York. Judith Kaye, chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, has
pushed for the program to be implemented in every community.

Drug court is voluntary to qualified offenders. They must be 18 or older,
have a recognizable history of substance abuse and be a defendant in a
nonviolent criminal case. Those with previous convictions for violent or
sex crimes or drug sales, a history of violent behavior or a primary
psychiatric disorder will not be eligible. Drug counselors will determine
whether a person is eligible and serious about stopping his or her drug
use. Pirro's office will have the ultimate decision on whether to allow
someone to enter the program.

Participants must sign a contract agreeing to plead guilty to the crime
they're charged with. Sentencing will be deferred until they've completed
the program. They'll be required to participate in an appropriate
rehabilitation program, get a high school degree and get a job. They must
also return to court frequently, so their progress can be monitored.

"We're calling it the court of hope," said White Plains City Judge JoAnn
Friia, who will preside over the city's drug court. "We want to address the
whole person, and that means finishing school, getting a place to live and
finding jobs, in addition to quitting drugs."

Members of the White Plains Drug Court are being trained by the National
Drug Court Institute. When the training is finished in September, the city
will qualify for up to $400,000 in federal grants to fund the program.

White Plains had 295 arrests on drug offenses in 2000, 458 in 2001 and 171
through April of this year, according to police records. Capt. Peter
Viviano, head of the Detective Division, said police support the drug court
concept.

"We're hopeful that the drug court program will address nonviolent
substance abusers in a more permanent manner," he said. "Focusing resources
on addicts who feed their habits by committing nonviolent crimes can only
be helpful to the community." Mayor Joseph Delfino said the new program was
a welcome addition to the city court.

"The success of this program will be the addicts that are rehabilitated,"
he said. "We expect to see less crime as a result."