Pubdate: Wed, 11 Oct 2006
Source: Journal Gazette, The (IN)
Copyright: 2006 The Journal Gazette
Contact:  http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/908
Author: Kara Lopp

NOBLE DRUG COURT AWAITS STATE CERTIFICATION

ALBION -- A drug addiction rehabilitation program, know  as a drug 
court, could be part of the Noble County  court system by January.

Noble County officials applied to establish a drug  court in the 
spring and are waiting for certification  by the Indiana Judicial Center.

A drug court allows court officials to refer people to  the 
multi-step program where accountability to stop  using drugs is key. 
At the beginning of the program,  participants meet with a probation 
officer several  times a week and typically appear before a judge 
once a  week to track their progress.

The number of visits lessens as the participant moves  through the 
program, trying to kick their drug  addiction.

The state currently has 22 drug courts -- including one  in Allen 
County -- and four drug courts for juveniles.  Other counties, such 
as Wabash County, have a drug  court in the works.

The creation of a drug court in Noble County is  something Noble 
Superior II Judge Michael Kramer, who  would oversee the program, has 
wanted for a long time.

Though he first heard about the drug-court concept 15  years ago at a 
conference, Kramer said he wanted to  make sure the county could 
finically support the  program on its own. There have been other 
counties  across the nation that have used grants to pay for a  drug 
court but had to stop the program once the money  ran out.

Kramer plans to set aside Wednesday mornings to handle  drug court 
cases. If the county is certified, officials  plan to start with a 
maximum of 25 participants, he  said.

The county's struggle with the use and making of the  illegal drug 
methamphetamine alone warrants the  program, Kramer said.

"We have obviously a lot of people who are in court  using 
methamphetamine and addicted to methamphetamine,  and it just seems 
that the typical probation isn't  working for them," he said. "We see 
the same people  over and over again."

Drug courts offer "intense and high-level" treatment,  accountability 
and sanctions for participants who  haven't succeeded with 
traditional methods or have gone  back to old habits, Kramer said.

The program would also save taxpayer money housing  inmates, Kramer said.

Kendallville Attorney Michael Yoder, a Democrat who is  running for 
Noble County prosecutor, has made the  creation of a drug court one 
of his goals if elected.

Current Noble County Prosecutor Steven Clouse, a  Republican who 
worked with other county officials to  apply for the program before 
Yoder announced he was  running, said the idea isn't new to him. "I 
agree, it's  a great idea, one that we've been working on for months," he said.
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