NO FREE RIDE

Drug Courts Attack the Cause of Crimes by Offering Felons Treatment, Not Jail

Julie Bentley is right when she says drug courts are not a
"get-out-of-jail-free card" like in Monopoly. Instead, drug courts attempt
to turn individuals away from a life of crime by attacking the cause of
their crimes: Drug addiction.

The theory is that if drug courts can successfully help people kick the
habit, those individuals no longer will have to commit crimes to feed those
habits. Selected addicts convicted of non-violent crimes can choose
treatment over jail time. For many, avoiding jail is a powerful incentive
to straighten out their lives.

The number of drug courts has increased rapidly in recent years, not only
in Kentucky but throughout the country. The reason for that increase is
because they have proven effective.

Bentley recently was named treatment coordinator for the adult drug court
program in Greenup and Lewis counties. As a full-time employee of the
Administrative Office of Courts, it is her task to insure that those
assigned to the program follow its guidelines by attending drug treatment
programs, receiving counseling, regularly being tested for drug use, and
showing up for frequent court appearances to measure their progress.

In Greenup and Lewis counties, participants in the program who lack a high
school degree also must attend GED classes and eventually earn the high
school equivalency degree. Since the lack of an education necessary to
qualify for many jobs can be a contributing factor to crime, the GED
requirement is a sound one.

As a licensed professional clinic counselor with 12 years experience as a
certified drug counselor, Bentley is well qualified for her new position.
She abandoned her campaign to become mayor of South Shore and resigned from
the South Shore Board of City Commissioners to accept her new job, ending
16 years of service in city government.

Drug courts don't work for everyone. In fact, Bentley said one person
assigned to her ultimately chose to go to jail after finding the treatment
program too difficult to follow. But for those who successfully complete
the program, they not only have avoided going to jail, but they have kicked
the addiction that led them to turn to crime. That's good for them,
individually, and for society as a whole.