Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jan 2001
Source: Cincinnati Post (OH)
Copyright: 2001 The Cincinnati Post
Contact:  http://www.cincypost.com/

THE DRUG COURT'S FUTURE

Hamilton County Judge Deidra Hair, who founded the state's first drug court 
in 1995, retired from the bench this week. She leaves an impressive legacy.

The concept of a specialized drug court, which focuses on treating 
criminals with addictions rather than punishing them with jail time, was 
revolutionary when Judge Hair pioneered it.

But her ideas proved sound. The treatment and intense supervision the court 
provides have helped hundreds of drug addicts give up lives of crime. The 
program has helped relieve jail crowding and saved the county money.

Dozens of counties across the state and around the country have used the 
Hamilton County program as a model.

Given that success, one would expect county officials would be anxious to 
continue and expand the use of this approach to dealing with drug addiction 
and crime. After all, some research shows that more than 80 percent of 
criminals have drug or alcohol problems. Helping people overcome those 
addictions has real potential to reduce the number of crimes in our community.

Unfortunately, judicial squabbling and turf battles have cast doubt on the 
future of the drug court in Hamilton County.

Judge Hair's colleagues complain - off the record - that she wielded too 
much power and didn't carry her share of the county's judicial load. The 
latter complaint is a bit specious: any specialized court, by definition, 
limits its docket to certain types of cases.

Criticism that Judge Hair was too lenient with those who violated their 
probation by doing drugs while in treatment seems more legitimate, but her 
practice of frequently extending probation rather than sending violators to 
jail was in keeping with a philosophy that addiction is an illness.

Some Common Pleas judges, however, didn't see it that way. They have 
blocked her plans for adding a second drug court to handle a wider range of 
cases - even though the proposal has support from Ohio Supreme Court Chief 
Justice Thomas Moyer.

Meantime, the selection process for naming Judge Hair's successor is 
continuing. But given the grumbling by the barons of the Courthouse, it's 
likely the next drug court judge will have a more difficult task.

Such attitudes are unfortunate, especially if they threaten the judicial 
philosophy of treatment-over-punishment for addicts that drug courts embrace.

Rehabilitation of addicts doesn't always work. But it's a much more 
effective approach than jail time. During Judge Hair's tenure, more than 
700 drug addicts successfully completed a treatment program.

Some tweaking of the drug court may be appropriate with this change of 
leadership.

But we hope Hamilton County judges will make it their mission to build upon 
the success that Judge Hair started, rather than looking for ways to 
disassemble the legacy she leaves. 
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