“If you don’t like paying for jails, if you don’t like a waste of tax dollars, then you’ll like the concept of drug courts. This is an initiative that’s working.”
— Gen. Barry McCaffrey
By JOHN BRANNON
Messenger Staff Reporter
As applied to drug court, numbers tell a story. And the story may surprise, if not shock, you.
There are 38 participants in the local drug court program administered by Tennessee’s 27th Judicial District, which is comprised of Obion and Weakley counties.
The program has a maximum capacity of 40.
With an annual budget of $145,000, the program is funded in part by state and federal grants, in part by DUI fines and other such assessments, and in part by local taxes. Obion and Weakley counties each appropriate $20,000.
“Most of the money goes for treatment,” said Circuit Court judge Bill Acree Jr., who presides over drug court. “None of the elected officials are paid anything for their work in the program. Westate Corrections administers the program and does a great job of it. Some of their people get a small salary, but that’s it.”
As you might imagine, the numbers increase in metro areas such as Memphis and Nashville.
And numbers tell a staggering story for Memphis and Shelby County, which make up Tennessee’s 30th Judicial District.
Memphis
Angela Parkerson, coordinator for Shelby County Drug Court, said the program was established in 1997 and claims 1,022 graduates. As of this week, it has 235 enrollees in the program.
“Our budget? It’s different each year, depending on how much money we get from the county and state,” she said. “But the average cost to participate is about $3,000 per person for our outpatient program.”
Outpatient? Does the term imply the program has inpatients? Yes. “We have an inpatient program that’s contracted out to two residential providers,” Ms. Parkerson said. “Right now, we have 12 inpatients. We also have 56 participants who are active in the program and were inpatients at one time.”
And how long does one remain an inpatient? “It depends on their progress, but anywhere from 30 to 120 days,” she said.
The cost of inpatient treatment is $100 per patient per day, she said.
Nashville
Richard Taylor Jr., coordinator for the Davidson County Drug Court, said the program was established in 1997, has an annual budget of $1.5 million and has had a total of 2,500 participants and 1,100 graduates. Taylor said these figures are approximates.
Here’s more background, as gleaned from a Web site: “There are six Criminal Courts in Nashville, Davidson County, Tenn. Each of these Courts handles about 2,000 cases per year. About 80 percent of these cases will involve either drugs or alcohol. In addition, research indicates that at least 60 percent of the people charged in those cases have a chemical dependency problem.”
Avoiding prison
All 38 participants in the local drug court were individually convicted of drug or drug-associated crimes in General Sessions or Circuit courts and sentenced to prison. By applying for and gaining approval of participation in the 18-month rehabilitation program, they avoided going to prison.
And they’ll stay out of prison as long as they comply with stringent dictates of the program and remain clean and sober. As you might imagine, that turns out to be seemingly impossible for some of them.
Circuit judge Bill Acree Jr. and Weakley County General Sessions Judge Tommy Moore know the statistics. Acree presides over drug court and the drug court program, assisted by Moore.
Drug court is held at 9 a.m. Thursdays at Weakley County Courthouse in Dresden and 9 a.m. Fridays at the Obion County Courthouse in Union City.
Acree acknowledges there are some drug court participants who “don’t make it” and backslide, for various reasons.
“About 30 percent do not (complete the program),” he said. “We’ve also had a few who completed the program and got into trouble again. Even so, some who go back to jail are still a lot better off. A lot of them think they can play the system and get by with it. They end up getting thrown out. On the other hand, we’ve had many who make it, stay straight, and we don’t see them back before the bench.
“Some people criticize the program. I’ve heard, ‘Well, it’s his own fault. He did it to himself.’ The thing about it is, they don’t stop to think what drug addiction does to the wife or husband, or the children involved. It’s a serious matter.”
The local drug court program was established in December 2002 and has had about 140 graduates.
Published in The Messenger 3.11.09 |
