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Saturday, February 17, 2007
Ind. Courts - Warrick County DUI/Drug Court is a success
14 News at WFIE is reporting today, in a story by Drew Speier that begins:
DUI and drug offenders, some serving time in prison, are being released and given a second chance. It's happening in Warrick County, and supporters say they have the numbers to show the program is worth the risk. The Warrick County DUI/Drug Court began exactly one year ago. There are only three in Indiana and only about 90 nationwide.It all began when Warrick County received $250,000 in federal funds to start the program. And if you talk to the man behind it, Judge Meier, it not only prevents people from becoming repeat offenders, it's giving many of them a second change they would have never gotten anywhere else.
Judge Meier says, "Drug courts typically do not take drunk drivers, drunk driving courts typically do not take drug offenders, we take both."
Judge Meier says it good to give a second chance, "I've been around this system for 30 some odd years so many of these people we've never really given them a chance."
Meier believes, for many drug and alcohol offenders, incarceration isn't always the answer, "Lot of them started off with misdemeanors, not serious offenses but the system never really made an effort to find out what was wrong, why are they using drugs?" But that's now changed in Warrick County where Judge Meier presides over one of three DUI/drug courts in the state of Indiana.
He gives his clients a legitimate shot at treatment and recovery. Judge Meier also takes time to visit them in his courtroom on a regular basis.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 17, 2007 11:26 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts