Batt Considering Drug Courts

Gov. Phil Batt is considering some sort of drug court system in Idaho, to relieve a judicial system clogged by an overwhelming number of drug cases.

“I believe there is merit in looking into the possibility of drug courts in Idaho,” the governor said Tuesday, in remarks prepared for the 67th annual Idaho Peace Officers Association training seminar.

“At this point, our efforts are only in the formative stages, and I do not know how the process will be structured. I do know that success will depend on cooperation from prosecutors, courts, corrections officials, and, of course, law enforcement officers,” Batt said.

Batt said he has assembled a committee to look into sentencing alternatives, including drug courts. Wayne Tousley, sheriff of Twin Falls County, and Bob Sobba, director of the Department of Law Enforcement, are on the panel, Batt said.

The governor said the National Crime Prevention Council backs drug courts as a way to speed cases.

“Because the criminal justice system moves so slowly, offenders arrested for drug-related crimes often are either released or fail to receive adequate treatment,” Batt said.

Batt said the court system is overburdened with drug cases. “These cases have a significant impact on resources available for trials and incarceration of more serious offenders,” he said. Up to 85 percent of all people sentenced to prison are drug or alcohol offenders.

Batt said Idaho’s Alternatives to Sentencing Report recommends that drug court programs be used to pull offenders out of the criminal justice system prior to trial.

“In cases where it is a first offense and a small amount of drugs are involved, the offender would face other diversion programs, such as a mandated treatment program,” he said.