DRUG COURT GETS INFLUX OF FUNDS

Local officials on Thursday received a $499,245 grant from the federal
government for the drug court that has operated in Unicoi and Washington
counties for the last eight months.

Washington County Sessions Judge John Kiener said the money will enable the
program to expand to more difficult cases that might involve entry into a
drug-treatment program. So far, he said, the court has addressed some of
the less troublesome drug cases and has been seeking help on treatment
programs.

"I'm thrilled to get that news," Kiener said. "We've certainly had some . .
. failures, but there's been enough positive results (that) it's a program
worth expanding to try to save some young people early on."

Erwin Mayor Russell Brackins, whose town applied for the grant, said he,
too, was pleased with the award.

"I think it's a great opportunity to do some good," he said.

Drug court, which addresses only misdemeanor cases, convenes on Tuesdays in
Washington County Sessions Court and Thursdays in Unicoi County Sessions
Court. Local officials had hoped to have the grant, which will be spread
over three years, at the court's inception. But Kiener said they were told
the federal government wanted them to try it on their own first.

The court targets an addicted defendant with the aim of getting him off
drugs and on the path of following the law. It also allows defendants who
successfully complete the program to avoid jail.

As a trade-off for staying out of jail, a defendant has to undergo regular
drug tests, attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings and
find someone in those programs to help him between meetings. He also has to
meet weekly with the judge and meet with probation officers.

Before the defendant appears in court, the judge talks with the probation
staff to get feedback on how the person is doing and what recommendations
they have. If a defendant has misbehaved, it might mean some jail time.

"The program is very intensive," Kiener said. "There's a lot of
encouragement to be on the job or at school."

Brackins said participants stay in the program for at least a year.

Referrals tend to come from defense lawyers or probation officers. A
committee picks the defendants who are permitted in the program. The only
way someone will not get into the program is if he is charged with a
violent offense.

The drug court in Washington County has had up to 25 defendants, and about
75 percent of them are succeeding, Kiener said. Brackins said the two
people who have been admitted to the program in Unicoi County have done well.

"We've been willing to take people in very bad shape," Kiener said. "So
degree of addiction has not stopped anyone from going into the program."
Vanessa Scott, who spearheads the project for Comprehensive Community
Services, said in 2001 that the grant can be used for treatment or
counseling services for defendants, drug screens and hiring probation officers.