COUNTY'S DRUG COURT LAUDED

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Drug Court program has already
earned a statewide award, just six months after opening for business.

"You are model participants and collaborators in the criminal justice
system," said Maryland District Court Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn. "I
am just amazed at the feeling of family in this room."

Clyburn presented the award, honoring the Worcester County Drug Court
as Maryland's Most Innovative Drug Court, this week at a gathering at
Worcester County Jail.

"You're probably the model in the state of Maryland at this time,"
said Clyburn. "You're the only jurisdiction that has all of the
different types of drug courts. It's amazing. I'm going to take from
your program and spread it throughout the state of Maryland."

Clyburn said he would like to send other members of the Maryland
justice system to Worcester County to learn from the local example,
especially, he said, those from Baltimore City, which elicited a laugh
from the audience. The first Maryland drug court was established in
1994. To date, there are 30 drug courts in Maryland, with another
seven in the planning stage.

The philosophy behind the program is "to break the cycle of the
revolving door of drug addiction and crime," said Worcester County
Drug Court Coordinator Tracy Simpson-Hansford. "Incarceration alone is
not working."

Worcester County District Court Judge Gerald V. Purnell, who works
with the adult drug court, said, "In the 1980's our society began the
'War on Drugs' with a zero tolerance policy, filling our jails with
petty drug users. Clearly, the 'War on Drugs' has not worked, and as a
result our court system is taking a fresh approach to the drug problem
that is pervasive in our society. That fresh approach is the drug
treatment court."

The drug court program is available to non-violent offenders who
commit crimes because of their addiction to drugs or alcohol. The
program uses an array of services, from drug rehabilitation to life
skills classes, combined with intensive court supervision, to get
lives back on track.

Participants must attend work or school, complete community service
service projects, any mental health counseling, abide by a curfew as
necessary, and maintain sobriety, just to name a handful of program
requirements. They must also go before drug court judges every two
weeks, where their progress will be reviewed, and praise or censure
given.

"It's quite important to these folks. Many have not received a lot of
positive attention and praise in some time, and especially from the
court system," said Simpson-Hansford.

Chris Miele, a case manager for the Department of Juvenile Services
who handles the juvenile drug court participants, anticipates that one
young man will become the first graduate from the program as early as
July.

"We have kids that have had prior contact with the department that are
doing far better than in traditional programs," said Miele.

For his clients, the contact with the judge is key. "They want that
praise and they fear the sanctions," Miele said. "The judge is the
biggest force in this."

Corporal Rick Blevins of the Berlin Police Department echoes Miele's
praise for the program. "It's working great. It's a way to get
everyone to try to be proactive and make a positive change instead of
doing business as usual," he said.

Blevins said that some addicts he has dealt with "for years and years"
have seen success in the drug court program. "I think it's successful
because of the partnerships we've built, communicating and working
toward a positive end," he said.

The drug court has been in the works for years. Program partners
include the Circuit and District Courts, the State's Attorney's
office, office of the Public Defender, Juvenile Services, the Division
of Parole and Probation, the county Health Department, the county
Board of Education, the county Department of Social Services,
Worcester County Jail, the Worcester County Sheriff's Office, and all
municipal law enforcement agencies.

Worcester County Drug Court has five adult and five juvenile
participants. Half are female, and half male, said Simpson-Hansford.
Half the participants are white, and half are African American. The
adult participants range in age from 29 to 45.

The goal, said Simpson-Hansford, is to enroll 25 juvenile and 40 adult
participants.

"The drug courts will continue to grow because it's the right thing,"
said Clyburn. "It's clear we should continue this holistic and
collaborative therapeutic approach to save someone's life."

Also in the future, Worcester County is planning to establish a
District Court DUI Offenders Program, which should debut in the next
fiscal year, and a Family Recovery Court Program, for families with
children in foster care, to begin in 2007.

"To me as a judge, this is probably the most rewarding program I've
been involved in," said Circuit Court Judge Thomas C. Groton III, who
handles the juvenile drug court cases. "I look forward to them coming
in. It's amazing to see the self-confidence they've gained from their
success. It's a great feeling for me and I know it's a great feeling
for the participants."