GETTING THE MONKEY OFF THEIR BACKS

Judges, district attorneys, law enforcement officials and politicians are
constantly searching for methods that will help addicts shake off the drug
habit.

But usually the search and the resulting slogans and programs come up short
because they lack two things - accountability and compassion.

Superior Court Judge Christopher G. Money has been instrumental in starting
up a program in San Luis Obispo County based on those fundamentals.

And the program has received high marks.

Money selects people who admit to being drug addicts. They must attend
court-ordered drug treatment programs and they are required to appear in
court once a month during the lunch hour for a chat with the judge about
how they are doing.

Probation officials said in the first six months of the program, about a
dozen probationers have been "terminated." That means they have
consistently attended drug treatment programs and showed that they are
turning their lives around.

Using the judge's model, a team of representatives from the Probation
Department, the Public Defender's Office, the Sheriff's and District
Attorney's Offices and county Drug and Alcohol Services was created to
develop an expanded drug court program.

The accountability aspect manifests itself throughout the treatment
program, but the tough part comes when the addict must come before Judge
Money to explain his or her success or lack of success in adhering to the
requirements of the program.

Compassion is involved because probationers learn that somebody cares and
is trying to help them.

Judge Money constantly encourages all the participants to stick with their
court-ordered treatment and he allows for an occasional relapse for one who
is making a determined effort to stay in the program.

A probationer who misses required treatment meetings and consistently tests
positive for drugs goes to jail.

But the one who has followed all the rules and finally is terminated from
the program gets a round of applause from Judge Money and everybody else in
the courtroom.

The mere fact that a participant in the program must face the judge is a
strong deterrent.

One probationer put it this way: "Every time I think about using, all I
have to do is think, 'Wait a minute - I gotta face the judge,' and that
picture in my mind takes the desire away."

In other words, he knows that he must be accountable.

No doubt, those who have made it through the program successfully deserve
the applause they receive.

But we, and we hope others in the community, applaud Judge Money and the
participating agencies for launching this court program and making it a
success.

It gets to the root of one of America's most destructive social problems.

Practically speaking, the program saves lives.