COUNTY DRUG COURT LANDS $436K GRANT

Money Will Be Used To Expand Year-Old Program

SCHENECTADY - The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $436,696 to the
county's Drug Court, a grant that the judge who runs the year-old program
plans to use to double the number of people it serves.

"We're going to increase the amount of people that we deal with in the
program," said County Court Judge Michael C. Eidens. There are currently 60
people in the program.

Eidens said he expects the grant money, announced Monday, will allow for
the hiring of additional staff for Drug Court, which offers rehabilitation
in place of incarceration for addicts arrested for nonviolent offenses.

Schenectady County and eight other municipalities in New York state will
share $2.8 million in federal grants to establish or expand drug courts.

Schenectady received the largest single grant. Drug courts are operated in
Rensselaer and Albany counties, but Washington County was the only other
local government to get money: $338,541. The city of Utica, Queens County,
Westchester County and Poughkeepsie will also receive amounts from $267,552
to $393,674.

Drug Court is an alternative sentencing that allows participants to avoid
jail time if they can stay drug-free for more than one year. A suspect must
be accused of a non-violent offense and be drug addicted to get into the
program. A suspect must plead guilty to a felony or a misdemeanor before
joining the treatment program and can face prison time if he or she later
tests positive for drugs.

The county program was established just more than a year ago. One was
recently launched in City Court. Supporters of drug court say it cuts
recidivism, though Eidens said there are no statistics yet available to
gauge the effectiveness of the local program.

"We think it is a real effective way for reducing crime, protecting the
public and helping people remain clean and sober," he said.

He said he the grant money, to be distributed to the county through the
state Unified Court System, will be used to help addicts get their high
school equivalency diplomas and find suitable housing. The grant will be
distributed over the next three years.

Hiring a second treatment coordinator is also among the plans, the judge said.

Currently, Ronald Butler, the program's lone treatment coordinator,
interviews all potential candidates and then monitors the progress of those
who are accepted.

Eidens wrote the grant proposal himself. He is expected to travel to
Washington Friday to obtain details of its administration.