Pubdate: Sat, 08 Jun 2002
Source: Winston-Salem Journal (NC)
Copyright: 2002 Piedmont Publishing Co. Inc.
Contact:  http://www.journalnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/504
Note: The Journal does not publish letters from writers outside its daily 
home delivery circulation area.
Author: Theo Helm
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

SPECIAL DRUG COURTS GET GRANTS

Money May Not Be Enough To Keep Program Open

The U.S. Justice Department has given more than $900,000 to North 
Carolina's drug-treatment courts, but an official said that the money may 
not be enough to keep the courts running because it's earmarked for only 
three treatment programs.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday that the Justice Department 
had awarded about $950,000 in grants to youth-treatment courts in Forsyth 
and Durham counties and a statewide youth- and family-treatment court. 
Forsyth County received a three-year grant of $333,818.

Officials with the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts have proposed 
eliminating state support for the treatment program. Last year, that 
support totaled $1.1 million.

Gov. Mike Easley has asked the office to reduce spending as he tries to 
balance the state budget in the face of an estimated deficit of $1.5 billion.

Because the grants are only for the three courts, they can't be used for 
any other treatment courts, including ones for adults, said Randy Monchick, 
who oversees the drug courts.

"The $1.1 million that we got last year ... funded a number of adult 
drug-treatment centers in the state," Monchick said.

Drug-treatment court is intended for people charged with nonviolent, 
drug-related crimes.

Instead of prosecution, the program provides treatment for addiction, 
counseling and whatever else the judge believes the participants need to 
become sober.

Forsyth is one of 10 judicial districts with the program.

The program helped 685 drug addicts and alcoholics statewide last year, and 
more than 400 people have graduated from it in North Carolina.

About 120 people have graduated from the local program since it began in 
June 1996, said Sonja Riley, the director of the local drug-treatment 
court. Ten of those have been arrested again on drug charges.

Monchick said that the drug-treatment courts might be able to continue if 
their budget cuts are moderate.

"If the legislature cuts us from $1.1 million to $800,000, I think I can 
swing that. It's close," he said. "If they cut us below that ... we're lost."

Monchick said he would continue looking for grants, but they are tough to find.

"You can't all of a sudden go after (grant) money at the last minute to 
fill gaps," Monchick said.

He said that losing state money would hurt because the federal government 
often matches or exceeds any money North Carolina gives to the 
drug-treatment program. Usually, $1 of state money can mean $2 or $3 in 
federal money, he said.

Monchick said that the federal grants will help even if they don't offset 
proposed state cuts.

"It's great that we got (the grants)," he said. "We need a little ray of 
sunshine."

Philip Toelkes, the child-court administrator in Forsyth County, said that 
the money would be used to pay for two new staff positions, supplies and 
training.

"I think it does have a direct effect on the state courts," Toelkes said. 
Treating children for drug addiction helps to keep them off drugs as 
adults, he said. "This is a program that will be paying for itself many 
times over."
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