Drug Court Makes A Difference Program Gives Its First Graduates A Chance To Start Over
Determined they had made permanent, positive changes in their lives, two people on Tuesday night became the first to graduate from Kootenai County’s fledgling drug court program.
A 46-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man, both from Coeur d’Alene, completed the nine-month diversionary program without reverting to habits that got them arrested on felony drug charges last fall.
“I think if I can do it anyone can,” the man told the judge while the man’s father applauded behind him.
Prosecutors requested that the names of both graduates be withheld to give them a chance at starting over.
Beginning Tuesday, the prosector’s office anticipates at least one person will graduate every month. Five more are on target to graduate Aug. 10.
“It’s a good thing for them,” said Tayna Gomez, who was recently named drug court coordinator for the prosecutor’s office. “It gets them into treatment right away.”
Forty-one people have entered Kootenai County’s drug court since its inception last October as a pilot program. After a handful were kicked out of the program Tuesday, less than two dozen remain.
“You can see the difference it’s made in those people,” Gomez said.
Participation in drug court is voluntary for first-time offenders who meet stringent criteria intended to disqualify sex offenders, violent criminals and gang members.
Once accepted, participants must plead guilty to felony drug possession and enter mandatory drug treatment programs. The offender’s treatment and work progress is monitored by probation officers and discussed every two weeks with Judge James Judd, who oversees the program.
“Arrest and prosecution cannot correct our drug problem alone,” Prosecutor Bill Douglas said. “Perhaps this will stop the revolving door of addiction and recidivism.”
Offenders who are making significant strides can cut their discussions with Judd to once a month. A few have taken the initiative to speak to church groups and attend additional Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings - none of which is a drug court requirement.
As a reward for successfully completing the program, the felony drug charge is reduced to a misdemeanor offense . Eventually, offenders can ask that the charge be removed from their records.
“It’s a question of hard work and making difficult choices at times,” Judd said.
Modeled after Spokane County’s drug court, the program is a cooperative effort among 1st District Court judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and probation and parole officials to divert first-time drug offenders into counseling.
Drug court was awarded a $100,000 state Department of Law Enforcement grant in May, largely to pay for the treatment for financially needy offenders and fund Gomez’s position as director. Prosecutors expect the program to triple in size over the next year.
A similar experimental program has been set up in Idaho’s Ada County.
Both drug court participants who graduated Tuesday night completed the program without a blemish during their nine months on probation, drawing extra kudos from drug court officials.
“It’s expected that they might have a few minor violations here and there,” Gomez said.
Repeated and serious abuses of the program are grounds for termination from the program. Minor violations are sanctioned with short stays in jail or on the sheriff’s community work program, but do not automatically get the offender kicked out of the program.
Most of the drug court participants who attended Tuesday night’s session appeared enthusiastic about the program.
“You can almost point out the people who have just started and the people who have been in it for a while,” Gomez said. “They’re giving off this aura that they’re proud of themselves.”
This sidebar appeared with the story: Background Drug Court Modeled after Spokane County’s drug court, the program is a cooperative effort among 1st district Court judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and probation and parole officials to divert first time drug offenders into counseling.