DRUG COURT OFFERS HELP FOR ADDICTS

First as a participant, then as a mentor, I have watched participants
of Nevada County Drug Court for four years. There are those who are
not ready to change, but there are numerous graduates who have gone on
to stay clean and be productive members of society.

While I believe that people who commit violent crimes should be
prosecuted accordingly, a segment of society thinks every addict
should be locked up. They believe addiction is simply a moral
decision. Perhaps if they understood there are effective resources to
help addicts and their families enter recovery, they would see things
differently.

The addict, his or her family and the community are better served by
offering treatment to users who do not commit violent crimes. After
all, the cost of treatment is a fraction of the cost of incarceration.

But it has been said that programs like Drug Court are a waste of
taxpayers' money. Tell that to my children. Four years ago, I was an
addicted IV drug user, well on my way to prison. Thanks to Drug Court
and Community Recovery Resources, I'll have four years clean of meth
in April, and my daughters got their mom back. There really is hope.

Christine Blankenship

Grass Valley