CHANGE IS POSSIBLE: DRUG COURT CAN HELP YOUTHS

My Thursday afternoon drug court docket is complete, and I am in my
chambers, grateful for the opportunity I have in my work to witness
remarkable events. It is a feeling I nearly always have on Thursday
afternoons after drug court. Today, 11 young men appeared before me. Most
have been closely monitored and supervised since their last court
appearance. Some are potential candidates for admittance to the program.
For those already enrolled, reviews of their progress included information
from treatment counselors, probation officers, schools, and parents. Random
urine screen results reveal whether or not continued drug use is occurring.

Like most drug-court Thursdays, today brought both good and bad news. One
young man who had been in the community on a home electronic monitor had to
be returned to detention when he left his home without permission. Another
is absent because of the death of a family member. One makes a difficult
admission about his need to be more open and honest, while another
struggles to get back on track after a recent relapse.

Good News Outshines Bad

Still, the good news seems to outshine the bad. An adolescent who has
struggled continuously with school suspensions has found hope in a teacher
at the truancy-diversion center he has been attending. She has taken the
time to write a letter documenting his progress and his willingness to
learn. He nods his head in agreement as I read her letter out loud in
court. He is drug-free, motivated, and wants to excel. We tell him we are
committed to helping him develop positive relationships with his other
teachers.

Several of our newest participants proudly report that their urine screens
continue to be clean. When asked to share positive news with the entire
group - something I ask for each week - one participant reports that his
school attendance has improved; another reports that he has secured a job.

The opportunity to interact with these young people has been one of the
most satisfying parts of my week. In them, I have seen resurrection,
resolve, hope, and possibility. In the program itself, I continue to see
inspired collaboration. Committed professionals from many different
disciplines come together to improve the lives of young people in our
community.

The first adult drug court in Virginia opened its doors in Roanoke in 1995.
The City of Richmond followed suit two years later under the leadership of
Judge Donald Lemons. The impetus for adult drug courts came from judges who
had become frustrated with the recidivism rate of non-violent
substance-abusing defendants. Recognizing the enormous financial expense of
repeatedly incarcerating these individuals and the continuing cost of their
re-offending behavior to their communities, these judges began to imagine a
better way. The result has begun to transform the landscape of a court's
ability to positively influence and affect an addict's chances to recover.

Clout of Judicial Authority

Using the tremendous coercive power of judicial authority, drug courts
require participants to account for their addictions. Today, nine adult and
two juvenile programs are in operation. Approximately 19 other
jurisdictions in the Commonwealth are exploring the possibility of
implementing their own programs.

For most of the past year, I have been the judge assigned to Richmond's
juvenile drug court. For young, non-violent offenders, this unique way of
system-intervention has unexpected and life-altering results.

Like the adult drug court, the juvenile drug-treatment court offers a
special collaborative approach to delinquency prevention and recovery. In
addition to the involvement of treatment providers and probation officers,
the court's "team" includes representatives from other city agencies,
including the public schools, juvenile-justice services, and the
Commonwealth's Attorney and public-defender offices. With the court's
oversight, this group maintains a vigilant watch over the progress of the
young people in the program.

Special challenges emerge in operating a juvenile drug court. For one, the
nature of adolescent drug use and "addiction" is different from that of
most adults. More often than not, juveniles do not have the lifelong,
devastating history of substance abuse their adult counterparts have and
consequently have not experienced the same kinds of losses that adults
struggle with when they hit bottom.

Webs of Family Violence

Many are also caught in webs of family violence. They are often the victims
of abuse and neglect and have mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who
are addicts. Recovery for these children does not mean sobriety for those
in their homes with whom they live. And, unfortunately, it does not
guarantee them a better life circumstance.

In spite of tremendous obstacles, I have watched the young people in our
drug-court program make dramatic changes in their lives. For many, it is
the first time they have had a positive, personal encounter with someone in
a position of authority. With weekly court appearances and constant
monitoring of school and home environments, we come to know the lives of
our participants nearly as well as we know our own. And, in powerful and
productive ways, they also come to know us.

We enter their lives with the belief that change is possible. We do so not
only for the sake of the young people we serve, but for ourselves and for
the safety of our communities.