Pubdate: Fri, 15 Nov 2002
Source: Virginian-Pilot (VA)
Copyright: 2002, The Virginian-Pilot
Contact:  http://www.pilotonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/483
Author: Jon Frank And Matthew Jones

ACCLAIMED VA. BEACH DRUG COURT TO SHUT DOWN

VIRGINIA BEACH -- The city's drug court, which won a major award last year 
and has served as a national model, will close next month because of the 
state's budget problems. General District Judge Virginia L. Cochran said 
this week that her innovative court specializing in the treatment of 
drunken-driving offenders will meet for the final time Dec. 16.

"I'm very disappointed," Cochran said Thursday. "In the future, I am 
optimistic we can start up again. But for now, we are going to have to shut 
down."

Cochran's court provides extensive treatment programs instead of jail for 
drunken drivers with multiple convictions. More than 160 people have 
entered the program since it was launched in 1997.

Funding for the court officially dries up Dec. 31.

It will mark the end of a roller-coaster year for Cochran's court, which 
was honored in June 2001 at a national conference in New Orleans.

Last winter, as the state budget deficit deepened, the General Assembly 
killed funding for drug courts, said Dan Catley, chief of the correctional 
services section at the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.

But Gov. Mark R. Warner stepped in, providing money to support drug courts 
at 80 percent of the original funding through the end of the current fiscal 
year. Cities were required to contribute an additional 5 percent of the 
revised figure, either with cash or in-kind services such as office space.

Cochran's court looked like it would survive.

But as Warner realized the seriousness of the budget shortfall, Cochran 
said, the governor "took back all the state grant money."

In its place is federal money that comes via the Byrne Grant Program.

The federal program would provide significantly less money than Warner was 
setting aside. Cities would make up for some of that with a larger, 
strictly cash contribution.

"We thought this was the best way to give them a chance to make this a true 
local initiative and to survive," Catley said.

Under the new terms, Virginia Beach would have to provide about $22,600 to 
stay in the program for the second half of the fiscal year, said Catheryn 
Whitesell, the city's management services director.

That's a significant increase from the $10,300 of in-kind contributions the 
city previously agreed to provide.

But Virginia Beach has a policy preventing the City Council from 
supplanting dried-up state funding with local money. That will likely make 
obtaining the federal money impossible.

There is one other possibility that would allow Cochran's court to get the 
federal money.

A city official is working with the Alcohol Safety Action Program to see if 
the agency will assume funding of the court, Whitesell said.

Cochran said she is hopeful that with such outside help her court 
ultimately will be able to get federal money.

But that won't happen any sooner than October, if at all, she said.

Meanwhile, other drug courts in the region appear to be surviving.

In Portsmouth, the felony drug court was awarded a $500,000, two-year 
federal grant.

"We're in good shape," said Portsmouth Circuit Judge Johnny E. Morrison, 
who added that the court's first graduation will be Dec. 4.

Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Junius P. Fulton III said he expects the city 
to replace the lost state funds.

Even the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court plans to 
continue preparing for the launch of a drug court in 2003.

Judge Winship C. Tower said a team planning to implement the court recently 
completed training. Tower said a federal grant application also is in the 
works that would secure funding for three years.

More than 1,000 drug courts operate across the country.

Most allow those charged with drug and alcohol offenses to be spared 
convictions if they agree to undergo intensive treatment. Many drug courts 
have recorded outstanding results, with success rates approaching 100 percent.
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