JUDGE GUNN GIVES WOMEN'S CLUB THE WORD ON DRUG COURT

Circuit Court Judge Mary Ann Gunn addressed the difference that drug court
has made in people's lives during a meeting of the Washington County
Women's Club meeting Tuesday.

The drug court has an 85 percent retention rate, Gunn said. Those who wish
to participate in the program, she said, must be committed. "It's a
privilege to be in drug court," she said. "They have to change their life
style. If they complete the program, I will drop the charges."

According to Gunn, drug court participants are required to meet nine months
for two hours on Tuesday and Wednesday for group counseling. On Thursday,
participants are required to meet for "moral reconation therapy," a
cognitive behavioral treatment system. They are also required to have one
hour of counseling each week. Family counseling or anger management may be
recommended. In addition, participants must be employed full time or be
full-time students. They will have to report to a probation officer, have
surprise home visits and be subject to random drug screens. "There are just
as many men in drug court as there are women," Gunn said, "But not as many
women have the equivalent of a GED. Everyone must get their GED in order to
graduate from the program."

According to Gunn, the majority of methamphetamine addicts start out with
alcohol, before moving on to marijuana -- a gateway to bigger drugs. "No
one uses meth before marijuana," she said. "We need to stop the children
from ever touching drugs. I'm not talking about scaring kids straight, I'm
talking about educating them on what the drug does and how it changes their
lives.

" There is finally scientific evidence of what methamphetamine does to your
brain, "Gunn said." People become addicted after just one to three uses.
There are 13 pleasure points in your brain and methamphetamine causes you
to lose important chemical balances. "

Each month, Gunn takes her drug court to area schools. The sessions take
place in front of several hundred students at a time. Gunn's goal is to
show children where drug use could lead. Other than providing the complete
drug history of each candidate, the sessions are identical to those in the
classroom.

" In April of 1999, (the drug court) started out with five people, "Gunn
said," We are now permanently funded and we have 162 people in drug court
today and 33 that need to come in. It works. I think treatment is number one. "