DRUG COURTS HELP OFFENDERS AND TAXPAYERS

Alternative To Incarceration Rehabilitates Users And Requires Fewer Public
Dollars

Our jails and prisons are either full or near capacity and mainly because
of get-tough sentencing legislation passed by almost every state in the nation.

From "three strikes, you're out" to abandoning time off for good behavior,
the criminal justice system is in meltdown.

Taxpayers are bearing the brunt of this get-tough attitude on crime - from
higher taxes to having more county and regional detention facilities being
built to new state and federal prisons coming on line to house the
burgeoning criminal element.

Caught up in this crisis are the drug users and street corner dealers who
now make up nearly half the prison populations across the country.

In many cases, drug use is on par with other violent felony crimes such as
armed robbery, aggravated assault and rape. As more and more drug users and
dealers are arrested, sentenced and locked up, the jails fill up, and
treatment rehabilitation of these people is something the system finds
little time for.

Fortunately, Dade County, Fla., Judge Stanley M. Goldstein came up with the
idea of a drug court in 1989. He separated out his drug cases from his
regular docket and then heard those cases at a separate time.

Goldstein's vision has basically changed the judicial landscape with not
only lightning speed but with impressive results.

Fourth District Circuit Court Judge Margaret Carey McCray has now taken up
the mantel and instituted a drug court here, too.

McCray recently shared her thoughts and comments on a drug court with
members of the Greenville Kiwanis Club.

The 4th Circuit District, which includes Leflore, Washington and Sunflower
counties, was approved for a pilot drug court program in 2001. Now thanks
to the results, the program here will receive funding to fully implement a
drug court with McCray serving as administrator.

"The purpose of the drug court is to catch people who have been through the
(criminal justice) system and address the underlying addiction," McCray said.

Eligibility for the drug court requires the person charged with a drug
offense to petition the district attorney's office through an attorney. The
petition is then reviewed by the district attorney's office, law
enforcement and treatment professionals to determine the eligibility of the
petitioner.

If the petition is approved, personnel with the drug court make a treatment
assignment that is specific for the petitioner's addiction.

So instead of the defendant languishing in a jail cell, treatment programs
are handed down in lieu of punishment and last from 18 months up to three
years.

"It usually begins with residential treatment," McCray said. "It's a bit
different from regular probation because we actually supervise the lives of
the people who are in it. They are subject to three drug tests per week and
a hearing each week. They must either be working or attending school unless
they are disabled."

Besides the different course of treatment, taxpayers can take comfort in
the cost savings accrued from an effective drug court program.

According to the National Drug Courts Web site, this alternative approach
saves the taxpayer money because incarceration of drug offenders usually
costs $25,000 to $40,000 annually per offender whereas drug court programs
usually cost $2,500 to $4,000 per person.

Another point to consider is that the recidivism rate of those who spend
time in jail or prison and end up back in the criminal justice system is
between 60 to 70 percent. The drug court program boasts a recidivism rate
of between 16 to 20 percent.

It's time we supported the efforts of McCray and others to fully implement
a drug court in the 4th Circuit Court District. It's an investment we can
ill afford to ignore.