IN SUPPORT OF DRUG COURT

The main courtroom at the Whitfield County Courthouse was packed last
Friday morning. As the judge spoke, a baby's cry could be heard throughout
the room. The Judge, Jack Partain, smiled and said that in this courtroom,
crying babies were okay, because this was not a traditional courtroom
proceeding. He couldn't have been more correct.

This event marked the one-year anniversary of the Conasauga Drug Court.
This program is truly unique. It is a treatment program for first-time drug
offenders who have had no prior felony convictions. It uses a team concept
including the judge, district attorney's office, law enforcement, probation
officer, drug court coordinator, treatment specialists and others. They all
work together to try to rehabilitate, rather than punish, the offender.

For years, we have heard tough talk on drug-related crime. For the most
part, it has created an over-crowded court system and a parade of repeat
offenders. Assistant District Attorney Mark Higgins, Jr. put it this way.
"For people dealing with drug problems, it's my belief that the current
system is doing a terrible job."

In prison, there are no treatment programs and very little instruction on
rehabilitation. This innovative program provides treatment, support and a
way out.

We heard example after example of people who have turned their life around
because of the assistance from the drug court. Judge Partain, who presides
over the program, stated that there was a 99% success rate with the 1,500
drug tests given to participants over the past year. He also pointed out
that the participants had a combined 5,162 days "clean and sober". Many of
the participants said this would have never been possible without the
support of the drug court.

The program helps the participants with more than just breaking their
addiction. The participants also gain life skills through the training. All
are encouraged to get at least their GED. During last Friday's program, one
of the court participants, Nathan, was presented with his GED certificate
to the applause of all.

The team praises or punishes the team members according to how they are
progressing. There is also a high degree of positive peer pressure. The
participants hold bonds of friendship and pick each other up when needed.
In many cases, this is the complete opposite of the support system these
individuals have experienced in the past.

What does all of this mean to the rest of us who don't have a drug problem?

A lot!

How can you put a price on reforming an addicted parent? How much will this
person cost his or her employer in lost time and production? What will
happen to this individual's children? How much will our tax system need to
subsidize their existence? How can we break a family's cycle of dependency
created from having an addicted parent?

In addition to being the morally correct thing to do, all of the community
benefits from addressing the perils of drug addiction. The cost of housing
a prisoner in the Whitfield County Jail is somewhere in the neighborhood of
$15,000 per year. This doesn't include the lack of productivity and
possible damages caused by the affected individual. Add in court costs to
prosecute, police manpower and time, plus general administration expense -
all resulting in a great deal of our tax dollars invested in even a simple
drug arrest.

As is the case with any government program, its future success will come
through continuation of funding. It may be more popular to simply call for
tougher penalties for drug-related crime. The best decision in terms of
dollars and cents, moral conscience and the salvation of lives and families
is to invest in programs like drug court.

My message to all those involved is "Keep up the good work! We're all
pulling for you!"