Pubdate: Sun, 06 Nov 2005
Source: Herald Democrat (TX)
Copyright: 2005 Herald Democrat
Contact:  http://www.herald-democrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2710
Authors: Bobbye Wynne-Stoolfire and Arthur W. Stoolfire
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

STAR DRUG COURT GIVES REASON FOR APPLAUSE

Kudos to Judge Rim Nall and the entire Grayson County STAR Drug Court team 
for their initiative, hard work and caring for those who are less fortunate 
than we, who succumbed to peer pressure or who was just in the wrong place 
at the wrong time.

We are beginning to see a glimmer of hope for our society after all. We 
have watched as our children succumb to drugs and alcohol, jails overflow 
with no end in sight, hope for families and addicts gone and we talk about 
building more and bigger jails. People in the medical field have known for 
years that just incarcerating a person would not cure them of their 
addiction. In most cases, prison makes them a hardened criminal in addition 
to a drug abuser.

The connection between crimes and drug addiction is well documented. Drug 
addicts, to satisfy their addiction, operate meth labs and commit a large 
percentage of robberies. After release from prison, offenders have no 
support system and return to their old habits and friends.

We applaud Judge Nall and his STAR team for their efforts to make this a 
better community in which to live and hope society has finally come to 
realize that treatment is the answer, not jail. Now it is the community's 
turn to step up to the plate and back their efforts to provide this 
much-needed drug rehabilitation and counseling.

Bobbye Wynne-Stoolfire

Arthur W. Stoolfire

Sherman
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