Thirteenth Of Ongoing Series

EIGHT OF 11 DON'T MEET DRUG COURT STANDARDS

Lane, frustrated by back sliding, vows to get tougher on those who don't
meet obligations

Note: The following article is the 13th in a series regarding the creation
of the Fifth Judicial District Drug Court Program recently implemented in
Pahrump. Because drug court is designed to treat addiction rather than
prosecute users as is done in criminal courts, the identities of
participants will be altered for purposes of confidentiality; their
photographs will not be printed.

It was not a happy day in drug court on Monday when an obviously frustrated
Fifth District Judge Robert Lane advised participants that he and the drug
court team were prepared to lower the boom on those who continuously fail
to meet their obligations.

The saddest story involved Amy, who was sent away to a six-month in- house
treatment program operated by the Salvation Army in Las Vegas. She didn't
have to go to the Salvation Army. The young mother of four could have opted
out of the volunteer drug court program and been released from jail in time
for supper.

From there, Amy could have walked to her dealer's trailer to snort meth up
her nose and figure out later what she would have to do to pay for the
lines. Eventually, she would be arrested for violating her probation and in
all probability be sent to prison.

Amy, however, expresses a fervent hope to someday reunite with her
children. With furrowed brow and biting her lower lip in an attempt to not
lose control, she tearfully told Judge Robert Lane she would do her best in
the Salvation Army program, as long as it meant she would be reinstated
into drug court if she succeeds. Amy began that journey Tuesday when she
was transported to Las Vegas.

Amy was one of three women sentenced to four nights in jail last week as
sanctions for failing to abide by drug court policies. Theresa and Vicki
joined Amy. A fourth female drug court participant, Joan, was sentenced to
two weeks in jail for lying and offering her middle finger to Lane on July 8.

Somebody smuggled cigarettes into the jail over the weekend and Amy,
Theresa, and Vicki were allegedly caught smoking in their cell pod.
Cigarettes are prohibited in the jail and are considered contraband. An
investigation is underway.

Lane ordered the three women to remain silent regarding the issue due to
the possibility of pending charges. Lt. Bill Redmond of the Nye County
Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said the matter would be brought to the
district attorney's office for possible prosecution once an investigation
is complete. While smuggling contraband into jail could be considered a
felony, Redmond said smuggling cigarettes would likely be handled as a
gross misdemeanor.

At least it wasn't meth.

Redmond said the smuggling issue is an "ongoing concern" at the jail,
particularly among female inmates. The only way to stop the practice would
be to strip search each inmate, something authorities are prohibited from
doing without probable cause, said Redmond.

While Amy will be gone for at least six months, Lane and the drug court
team discussed the possibility of kicking out a couple of other
participants prior to Monday's session. Vicki was one of those and she
escaped expulsion by the skin of her teeth. If not for her reluctant
admission she has a problem with methamphetamine, Vicki would have been
sent back to district court and from there possibly on to prison.

Theresa continues to struggle with her addiction to meth, and continues to
underestimate the drug court team's ability to detect the crude street
drug's presence in a person's urine. In the end, Lane and the drug court
team decided nobody was worth giving up on - yet, but the judge warned his
patience was wearing paper-thin.

It would be unfair to single out Amy, Vicki and Theresa when only three of
the program's 11 participants had good weeks. Fred and Joe, the only
participants to advance to phase two of the three-part program, continued
to shine, as did Cathy, the only drug court volunteer who isn't on formal
probation.

Greg and Paul tested dirty for marijuana, Dennis tested dirty for meth and
pot, and John didn't bother showing up for his three weekly counseling
sessions. Joan is still in jail until Monday. Amy, Vicki and Theresa tested
positive for meth and other drugs in addition to the silly cigarette
smuggling episode.

Fred and Cathy were rewarded for their good weeks with certificates for
free pizza from a local restaurant. The certificates are part of a rewards
program now being created to support participants when they do well. The
idea is to offset the sanctions they receive for doing poorly.

Joe did not have to attend Monday's session since those in phase two attend
drug court every other week. He, too, likely has a certificate waiting for him.

The wheels fell off the drug court wagon for the remaining nine
participants. Paul admitted he "took a hit off a pipe," and advised the
judge he would be unable to pay for a lab analysis of his urine. Lane gave
the man two weeks to come up with the money to pay for his own full screen
analysis, which is much more comprehensive than the cups normally used to
drug test someone.

Greg also admitted to smoking weed a couple of weeks earlier. And while
possession of small amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor in Nevada, drug
court participants must refrain from all drugs and alcohol. Traces of
marijuana stay in a person's system for up to three months after smoking,
while the much more destructive meth vanishes without a trace within three
days of ingestion. One drug court participant was overheard characterizing
that fact as "a cruel twist of fate."

Greg said he gets through the weekdays just fine, but has trouble during
the weekends. "I get bored," he said. "If I'm not busy doing something I'm
pacing."

His wife Cathy had no such problems. Pregnant with the couple's child and
smiling from ear to ear, Cathy attended her meetings and her urine drops
were clean. Lane congratulated the woman and after giving Cathy her pizza
certificate he quipped, "Don't share any with (Greg)." The judge also
offered a wedding gift to the couple from the drug court team. Cathy and
Greg appeared to be touched by the gesture.

Dennis made his counseling sessions, but he missed one of the three 12-step
meetings participants must attend each week. He failed his urine analysis.
Dennis said his relapses were due to family matters. Lane said he has
received reports from "people who know you well. They said you would be a
problem because you get clean but don't stay clean."

Dennis was advised to call a drug court team member, including the judge
himself, if he needs help to stay clean during the week. It was a plea
offered to every person in the program.

Apparently disgusted with the lack of progress shown by the majority of
drug court participants, Lane announced a number of policy changes. From
now on, every participant who is unemployed must present themselves to
district court each morning at 8. Failure to do so without a valid excuse
would result in a warrant being issued for their arrest.

Firm sanctions have been established for a number of potential violations
ranging from jail time to additional meeting attendance. Being late to
meetings, missing a urine drop, lying to the judge or disrespecting his
staff are a few examples of what type of problems a participant could run into.

Lane practically encouraged people to quit if they didn't think they could
abide the regimen. "Drug court is not for everybody," he said to
participants. "I'm doing this because I care, but this isn't a game. You
might as well come clean and save yourselves a lot of time and stress (by
quitting drug court) because I guarantee you this: we're not going to lose.
None of us (on the drug court team) are going to jail if you fail. If you
try and play the system and waste our time ... I'm not eternally patient."

Perhaps surprisingly, given the tune-up the program received this week,
nobody stood to tell Lane he or she wanted out of drug court.