WHAT IS A DRUG COURT?

Drug addiction is a driving force for people who commit crimes, prosecutors
say. The courthouse is a frequent stop for those people who cannot kick the
drug habit and it results in spoken frustration from prosecutors, defense
attorneys and judges.

Drug courts are meant to make sure that when the courtroom door shuts on a
defendant who has abused drugs, it is the last time that person returns.
The country's first drug court was established in Dade County, FL, in 1989.
Virginia began working with the program in Roanoke in 1995. Today, there
are 26 drug courts in Virginia.

Plans to establish a drug court in Loudoun County started to come together
in October 2003, when the Loudoun County Community Criminal Justice Board
held a Drug Court Conference at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg. The event brought
experts from across the state and country to testify about the benefits of
drug courts. A year later, and with little fanfare, a pilot drug court
program was established in Loudoun.

The Loudoun Adult Drug Court meets at 8 a.m. every Wednesday and currently
has nine participants ranging in age from their mid-20s to above 50. Before
the court opens, the "drug court team"--which consists of two judges, a
prosecutor, a defense attorney, probation officers and therapists from of
office of mental health and substance abuse--meets for an hour and reviews
each participant's progress.

The Loudoun Adult Drug Court's mission is to enhance public safety by
reducing the impact of drug-driven crime by providing a cost effective and
accountable system of supervision and treatment. To be eligible for the
program, offenders must live in Loudoun, be on supervised probation for a
felony conviction, have a pending violation related to their addiction, and
have no violent prior felonies. The participant pays $100 to be in drug
court and for their treatment, a fee that is based on a sliding scale.
Participants are supervised daily and their attendance at drug court and
therapy sessions is mandatory. They have a curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and
they are not allowed to leave the state. Loudoun's drug court has four
phases, with the last phase having fewer court visits and less intense
supervision. In addition to the curfew restrictions, participants can face
requirements to perform community service, attend more meetings and
treatment sessions and comply with home electronic monitoring. Positive or
missed urine screens automatically involve immediate jail terms and it has
happened in Loudoun's drug court, said Michelle White, the program's
coordinator.

"If there are negative things to be dealt with then they will receive a
sanction of some kind which can include incarceration," White said.
"Everyone understands the rules at the outset and we make certain of that.
Positive behavior is rewarded and negative behavior has specific results."

One of the main differences of a drug court and a normal Circuit Court
criminal proceeding is the personal touch from the participants and the
judges. A drug court participant who is complying with the terms of the
program earns praise from judges, promotion to a higher drug court phase,
certificates for recognition and free movie passes.

"We also have given them travel mugs. We can't do much because we don't
have any money, but we try our best that they are rewarded for their pos
behavior in the program. Really the value from them on just praises from
judges is just extraordinary," White said.

Each phase lasts no less than 90 days and after a year, the participant
graduates in a ceremony that is joined by the judges and drug court team.
Sometimes it takes more than 12 months for a participant to graduate for
various reasons, including lack of progress.

Many people who watch drug court say they like the personal touch each
person brings to the process. During each session, participants will stand
up and discuss the events of their week. During last week's drug court
session, one man talked about how he had a "dark" day when the stresses of
his construction job hit him hard. As he pulled his truck over to the side
of the road, the thought of returning to painkillers haunted him, until he
was able to push the demons out.

"That was real hard," he told the judges. "I was scared."

That same man has been sober nine months for the first time in his life,
Circuit Court Judge Thomas D. Horne said. Horne presides over drug court
with Circuit Court Judge Burke F. McCahill. Both support the innovative
program.

The judges say that Loudoun's drug court is not an easy way out. The
supervision is more intense and keeping a job is a firm requirement. Not
only does a drug court force participants to speak openly about their
addictions, it also forces them to become productive citizens.

The Drug Court Clearinghouse and Technical Assistance Project and the
National Association for Drug Court Professionals say that drug courts
reduce recidivism rates and are less expensive than traditional incarceration.

"They are held accountable daily, really," White said. "They have daily
requirements that they must fulfill. They see their probation officers
twice a week, they attend substance abuse sessions three times a week, they
come to court once a week and they are expected to work everyday. It's not
easy. To be honest, I don't think it would be easy for anyone."