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Friday, January 13, 2012

Ind. Courts - "Warrick Drug Court offers a second chance at life"

Nathan Blackford posted this story yesterday afternoon on the Evansville Courier & Press website. A few quotes:

The program, which started in 2006, has produced 91 graduates and has, according to participants and court officers, been remarkably effective at giving drug and alcohol offenders a second chance at life. * * *

The offenders in the drug court are hand-selected by the staff members. Each participant must meet certain criteria, and also must get the approval of Warrick County Superior Court Judge Keith Meier. The program was Meier's idea, and he continues to oversee it.

"You don't just get into this program because you say you want in," said Meier. "The people are assessed pretty thoroughly in terms of addiction and mental health, and we look at their criminal history. Then the drug court team members will vote on whether someone comes in. It is a pretty daunting intake process." * * *

The Warrick County Drunk Driving and Drug Court is, according to Meier, truly unique. Rather than use probation officers to oversee the program, Meier hired licensed clinical social workers. Some of those people are past addicts themselves. And the court focuses on treatment for the participants rather than punishment.

"The one thing that distinguishes our program from all of the others that I have seen is that we are clinically based," said Meier. "I think that is the reason for our success."

The success of the program is hard to argue with when you look at the numbers, Meier said. To date, the drug court has saved more than $12 million in incarceration costs and only 12 percent of the program's graduates have been sent back to jail. Nationally, the recidivism rate of people coming out of prison is around 80 percent.

"The idea of the program is based upon some solid research," said Meier. "People who have substance problems, treatment in the traditional justice system has not worked. In fact, there are a number of studies that going to prison actually makes them worse. So this drug court program is based on a lot of hands-on attention."

There is much more in the story.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 13, 2012 10:10 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts