Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Drug court being developed for Blaine County

New entity should be up and running by spring


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Fifth District Court Judge Robert J. Elgee, shown here during a recent trial, is a key member of a team that is developing a drug court for Blaine County. Photo by Chris Pilaro

Come next spring, Blaine County should have a drug court up and running as a way to help drug offenders stay out of jail and get their lives back together.

An intensive planning effort is under way in the county by court, legal, probation and substance abuse experts to have a drug court in operation sometime between March and June of 2007.

"It's an idea whose time has come," said 5th District Court Judge Robert J. Elgee, a member of the county's drug court development team. "It's a great opportunity to do something positive as a judge, instead of just deciding how much prison time a person needs."

The basic concept of a drug court is to steer drug users who have committed crimes into an intensive rehabilitation program that helps them kick the drug habit and rebuild their lives. But drug courts aren't for every drug offender. They are typically geared to first-time offenders or those who haven't committed other serious or violent crimes and genuinely want to get over their addictions.

"They have to be very motivated because the requirements are very intensive and take a lot of time," Elgee said.

The drug court concept has been growing in the U.S. since the first one was started in Miami, Fla., in 1989. Drug courts caught hold in Idaho in the late 1990s, but the concept became officially sanctioned in 2001 when the Idaho Legislature passed the Idaho Drug Court and Mental Health Court Act.

According to the Idaho State Judiciary, the state now has 45 operational drug courts that cover 30 of the state's 44 counties. There are different types of drug courts, and some counties have several. Ada County for example has an adult felony court, a juvenile court and a mental health court.

Some counties have courts that focus on alcohol addiction or child protection.

Elgee said the Blaine County drug court will be geared mainly toward adult drug users who have been charged with felonies and are addicted to cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin.

Elgee and seven other members of the county's drug court development team attended a five-day training session in Los Angeles from Oct. 23 to 27. The session was conducted by the National Drug Court Institute to help counties in the West get drug courts up and running.

Attending the training in addition to Elgee were 5th District Magistrate Court Judge Mark Ingram, county adult probation officer Jody Fuller, county district court Head Clerk Andrea Logan, Walker Center counselor Nancy Kneeland, Hailey psychotherapist Tyler Lohrke, public defender Kevin Cassidy and county Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Warren Christiansen.

Fuller, who Elgee credited as the driving force behind development of the county's drug court, said travel and accommodations for the training were funded by a monetary award from the National Drug Court Institute, which is funded by various federal agencies.

She said administrative costs for the drug court are still being worked out, but county employees will incorporate the work as part of their normal duties.

Funds for helping program participants, estimated at about $4,000 per individual, will come through the 5th District Court administrative office in Twin Falls through an appropriation by the state Legislature.

Elgee said the drug court will initially start with just a few participants but will eventually be expanded to help up to 10 individuals.

Being accepted into the drug court program requires an extensive commitment, Elgee said. Participants will be required to plead guilty to the charges against them, must attend up to 20 hours a week of counseling, must attend weekly court hearings, will be subjected to drug testing twice a week, and must be employed or seeking employment.

Elgee said participants who fail drug tests or other program requirements could find themselves in jail for a weekend. If they repeatedly fail to meet drug court objectives, they could be removed from the program and sentenced to prison.

According to the Idaho State Judiciary, Idaho drug courts last year "graduated 387 drug-free and productive individuals."

"Research has continued to show that drug courts provide a cost-effective alternative to imprisonment, significantly reducing future criminal offenses and the victimization related to such crimes," the state judiciary reported.

"I've heard district court judges say this is one of the most rewarding jobs they've ever done," Elgee said.




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