DRUG COURT A POSITIVE STEP FOR TEENS

Four years ago, Daviess District Court Judge Joe Castlen recalls, he
thought half the kids who appeared in juvenile court had substance abuse
problems.

Now, he told reporter Jim Mayse the other day, "almost every one of them
has a substance abuse problem."

Castlen's comments reiterate what police, prosecutors and substance-abuse
professionals know -- the drug problems that are plaguing the court system
extend increasingly into the youngest offenders.

That makes especially welcome the news this week that Daviess County will
get $15,000 from the state Department of Juvenile Justice to start a pilot
juvenile drug court program.

Local officials have worked diligently and persistently with the help of
Community Solutions for Substance Abuse to get the grant. The courts and
police here have been especially progressive in realizing the importance of
treatment and flexibility in dealing with drug problems, realizing that
simply tossing people into jail and throwing away the key does not address
the problem.

Evidence of the success of their approaches came later in the week when 15
more people graduated from the county's drug court.

The graduates had been through nearly a year of intensive treatment that
has helped them find jobs, re-establish relationships and overcome their
addictions to alcohol or drugs.

"The healing that goes on here is inspirational," Castlen said.

And that it is. These are folks who, a few years ago, probably would have
been in jail for a while, then back out and most likely to fall back into
their earlier addiction. And in their need to finance their addiction, they
would likely end up back in court not just for drug possession or
manufacture, but for crimes such as shoplifting or burglary.

The cycle only worsens. Their jail records make it harder to find
employment and reinforce the social networks that encourage and enable the
substance abuse.

Now, by January, Daviess County expects to be able to extend the benefits
of the drug court program to youths ages 13 to 17.

The program will be open only to teens charged with nonviolent offenses and
will combine strict monitoring with counseling.

It will be an important step forward in our fight against substance abuse.