DRUG COURT SENTENCES KIDS TO A SECOND CHANCE

Some people in the juvenile justice system think it's remarkable the
16-year-old girl has been drug-free for more than 300 days.

After all, her parents got her addicted to illegal drugs at an early age
and had her selling or delivering them when she was arrested last year.

Her parents are probably headed to prison, Snohomish County Superior Court
Judge Joseph Thibodeauc said.

But the girl might well be on track to a productive life.

Some folks credit the girl's turnaround to a new Snohomish County Juvenile
Court program that features intense treatment and supervision, as well as
weekly visits with Thibodeau for a year.

It's called a drug court.

Twenty-five teen-agers dependent on drugs, who otherwise might have gone
into the juvenile prison system, have been enrolled in the program since
early this year.

On Friday, various drug treatment officials and personnel from corrections
and other county departments were briefed on the program.

Deputy Prosecutor Scott Lord said the 16-year-old who was delivering
illegal drugs might not have been taken into the program except for the
special circumstances of her parents' illegal activities.

It was decided she needed a chance, and he's pleased that the girl
continues on the straight and narrow.

"It's an amazing turnaround," he said.

The program's object is to get them all drug-free and feeling good about
themselves, thus increasing their chances of a future without crime.

The success rate isn't perfect. Some have been kicked out and replaced by
others. A few have been caught using drugs again. One has committed a
felony while in the program.

But the program seems to work for most.

"It's really exciting, and I think it's really a productive effort," said
Dick Carlson, administrator of the county Juvenile Court Services and the
Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett.

Some state money and county departments are supporting the venture, one of
a handful of juvenile drug courts in the state. It follows on the heels of
an adult drug court in the county that also has shown signs of success.

It's a voluntary program that includes some youths who have committed
felony drug offenses. A drug court team consisting of treatment
supervisors, a deputy prosecutor, a defense lawyer, a probation officer and
the judge reviews each individual's situation every week.

The secret is intense supervision, including requirements to attend drug
treatment four times a week. Participants must remain in school or work,
and their attendance and progress is checked.

Therapist Kevin Collins said the drug court treatment is more intense than
other programs for youths, and his figures show more successes as a result.

Participants are subject to random drug tests, and their parents are
expected to participate and confirm what the teens say.

For some, it may be the first time adults have ever cared what happened to
them.

Youths enter the program with the prospect of having drug charges against
them dismissed and with the hopes of being able to keep a drivers license
that could otherwise be revoked with a drug conviction.

Thibodeau, known for his stern demeanor on the bench, exercises his
tough-love version of discipline, passing out "sanctions" for youths who
falter. That could include time behind bars or having a license pulled for
a short time.

But there's a lot more.

"They're kids you see every week," Thibodeau said. "In some aspects,
they're like my children at home."

He's on a first-name basis with them, and "I expect great things from them."

It hurts, he said, when they stumble, but relapse is not unusual during
such treatment.

It's a lot of effort, and there's not enough money for the program to touch
hundreds of other teens who also could be helped. But Thibodeau said what's
being done is worth it.

His year with Juvenile Court is over, but the judge said he will stick with
the drug court for an indefinite period.

"This is the one time I have a chance to be coach, teacher, judge, trying
to find the one thing to turn these youngsters on to change," Thibodeau
said. "I am convinced they really want to be successful."