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| Drug Court team holds first meeting |
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1/11/2008
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
More than a dozen members of a Drug Court team gathered last week to discuss how to operate a local court.
The team, made up of local civic leaders, was hand-picked by Montgomery County Circuit Judge Beth Maze to oversee the court, which is still in the planning phase. Maze received state funding for a local court in November.
“I’m excited about this,” Maze said. “I want to make sure we get started on the right foot and get people who really need to be in the program.”
Drug courts were created by the Kentucky Court of Justice in 1996 and provide intensive supervision and drug abuse treatment for drug offenders in local communities.
Drug court graduates are less likely to reoffend than individuals on probation who don’t participate, the court of justice reports.
Drug courts are already in place in three of the four counties Maze serves in the 21st Judicial Circuit—Bath, Rowan and Menifee. The other circuit judge in the district, William Mains, reports early success in the Rowan court. When the Advocate reported about the funding for the court here, it was noted Rowan’s court started 14 months ago and a separate court for Bath and Menifee counties was expected to begin operation soon. Those counties were being served by the Rowan court.
Maze will operate a scaled down, modified court compared to what Mains runs. It will use fewer employees.
Maze’s drug team will meet again Feb. 5 and every Tuesday thereafter, she said.
In the meantime, Karen Gulley, recovery coordinator for the local court, will be interviewing potential program participants “to see whether they are somebody who can be helped by this program,” Maze said.
She said Gulley will be reviewing pre-sentencing investigative reports filed with the court system to determine who might be eligible.
All participants must be from Montgomery County or have strong ties to the community, Maze said.
Generally speaking, Maze said, the court will try to avoid enrolling convicted drug traffickers, preferring instead to accept participants who are simply addicts. Some who have traded in drugs on a limited basis as part of their addiction might also be admitted, she said.
No violent or sexual offenders will be permitted.
Maze said some participants will be admitted after completing a residential treatment program. She expects 15 to 20 participants in the first class.
“I don’t want to overwhelm the program with much more than that until we get on our feet,” she said.
The program includes three phases, which require attendance of 12-step meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery, random drug tests, curfews and counseling. They must also appear in court frequently to be monitored for progress.
The reins are loosened a bit as participants advance through the program.
Gulley will meet on a regular basis and complete some of the drug tests with female participants. Brian Bradshaw, a Montgomery County resident, has been hired to monitor males and some of their drug tests.
Random drug tests will also be conducted by an outside testing agency, Maze said.
Maze said the initial meeting went well and she’s glad to see the program moving forward.
“It’s a start,” she said. “It’s a positive move for Montgomery County. At least the ball is rolling and we can build from here.”
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