NOBLE DRUG COURT AWAITS STATE CERTIFICATION

ALBION -- A drug addiction rehabilitation program, know as a drug
court, could be part of the Noble County court system by January.

Noble County officials applied to establish a drug court in the
spring and are waiting for certification by the Indiana Judicial Center.

A drug court allows court officials to refer people to the
multi-step program where accountability to stop using drugs is key.
At the beginning of the program, participants meet with a probation
officer several times a week and typically appear before a judge
once a week to track their progress.

The number of visits lessens as the participant moves through the
program, trying to kick their drug addiction.

The state currently has 22 drug courts -- including one in Allen
County -- and four drug courts for juveniles. Other counties, such
as Wabash County, have a drug court in the works.

The creation of a drug court in Noble County is something Noble
Superior II Judge Michael Kramer, who would oversee the program, has
wanted for a long time.

Though he first heard about the drug-court concept 15 years ago at a
conference, Kramer said he wanted to make sure the county could
finically support the program on its own. There have been other
counties across the nation that have used grants to pay for a drug
court but had to stop the program once the money ran out.

Kramer plans to set aside Wednesday mornings to handle drug court
cases. If the county is certified, officials plan to start with a
maximum of 25 participants, he said.

The county's struggle with the use and making of the illegal drug
methamphetamine alone warrants the program, Kramer said.

"We have obviously a lot of people who are in court using
methamphetamine and addicted to methamphetamine, and it just seems
that the typical probation isn't working for them," he said. "We see
the same people over and over again."

Drug courts offer "intense and high-level" treatment, accountability
and sanctions for participants who haven't succeeded with
traditional methods or have gone back to old habits, Kramer said.

The program would also save taxpayer money housing inmates, Kramer said.

Kendallville Attorney Michael Yoder, a Democrat who is running for
Noble County prosecutor, has made the creation of a drug court one
of his goals if elected.

Current Noble County Prosecutor Steven Clouse, a Republican who
worked with other county officials to apply for the program before
Yoder announced he was running, said the idea isn't new to him. "I
agree, it's a great idea, one that we've been working on for months," he said.