SPECIAL DRUG COURTS GET GRANTS

Money May Not Be Enough To Keep Program Open

The U.S. Justice Department has given more than $900,000 to North
Carolina's drug-treatment courts, but an official said that the money may
not be enough to keep the courts running because it's earmarked for only
three treatment programs.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday that the Justice Department
had awarded about $950,000 in grants to youth-treatment courts in Forsyth
and Durham counties and a statewide youth- and family-treatment court.
Forsyth County received a three-year grant of $333,818.

Officials with the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts have proposed
eliminating state support for the treatment program. Last year, that
support totaled $1.1 million.

Gov. Mike Easley has asked the office to reduce spending as he tries to
balance the state budget in the face of an estimated deficit of $1.5 billion.

Because the grants are only for the three courts, they can't be used for
any other treatment courts, including ones for adults, said Randy Monchick,
who oversees the drug courts.

"The $1.1 million that we got last year ... funded a number of adult
drug-treatment centers in the state," Monchick said.

Drug-treatment court is intended for people charged with nonviolent,
drug-related crimes.

Instead of prosecution, the program provides treatment for addiction,
counseling and whatever else the judge believes the participants need to
become sober.

Forsyth is one of 10 judicial districts with the program.

The program helped 685 drug addicts and alcoholics statewide last year, and
more than 400 people have graduated from it in North Carolina.

About 120 people have graduated from the local program since it began in
June 1996, said Sonja Riley, the director of the local drug-treatment
court. Ten of those have been arrested again on drug charges.

Monchick said that the drug-treatment courts might be able to continue if
their budget cuts are moderate.

"If the legislature cuts us from $1.1 million to $800,000, I think I can
swing that. It's close," he said. "If they cut us below that ... we're lost."

Monchick said he would continue looking for grants, but they are tough to find.

"You can't all of a sudden go after (grant) money at the last minute to
fill gaps," Monchick said.

He said that losing state money would hurt because the federal government
often matches or exceeds any money North Carolina gives to the
drug-treatment program. Usually, $1 of state money can mean $2 or $3 in
federal money, he said.

Monchick said that the federal grants will help even if they don't offset
proposed state cuts.

"It's great that we got (the grants)," he said. "We need a little ray of
sunshine."

Philip Toelkes, the child-court administrator in Forsyth County, said that
the money would be used to pay for two new staff positions, supplies and
training.

"I think it does have a direct effect on the state courts," Toelkes said.
Treating children for drug addiction helps to keep them off drugs as
adults, he said. "This is a program that will be paying for itself many
times over."