Pubdate: Sat, 27 Oct 2007
Source: Citizen, The (Laconia, NH)
Copyright: 2007 Geo. J. Foster Company
Contact: http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SERVICES0113
Website: http://www.citizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1408
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

DRUG SENTENCING PROGRAM HONORED

HAVERHILL -- West Huddleston, chief executive officer of the National 
Drug Court Institute located in the nation's capital, recognized the 
Grafton County Drug Court Sentencing Program this week for its 
outstanding achievement, lauding the county's "tireless efforts to 
foster community transformation through reducing drug addiction and crime."

The Community Transformation Award has been awarded to only four 
other jurisdictions nationwide out of a total 2,016 drug courts in operation.

County Attorney Rick St. Hilaire remarked, "It is a credit to the 
drug court sentencing team -- from Judge [Jean] Burling to our 
coordinator, Bob Gasser, and to the supervision officers, defense 
attorneys, and treatment providers -- that the pilot program has 
shown success so early. The years of planning and hard work have paid 
off, and this award is quite an honor for the team."

The Grafton County drug court began as a pilot project in April, 
holding its first courtroom session in May.  The program works to 
improve public safety while decreasing county criminal justice costs 
by placing non-violent, jail-bound offenders who have a history of 
addiction and drug-or alcohol-related crime, into an intense program 
of enhanced judicial supervision and targeted substance rehabilitation.

A study by the National Justice Institute found that, within one year 
of arrest, 16.5 percent of drug court graduates had been rearrested 
and charged with a felony and 27.5 had been charged after two years.

The Grafton County Drug Court Sentencing Program was conceived by 
real estate broker Bill Sahlman of Lebanon and St. Hilaire. Their 
preliminary work resulted in the formation of a steering committee 
which also included County Commissioner Mike Cryans, Justice Burling, 
Department of Corrections Superintendent Glenn Libby, Lebanon Police 
Chief Jim Alexander, Superior Court Clerk Bob Muh, Attorney Gary 
Apfel, and Carr Robertson and Greg Norman of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock 
Medical Center.

For further information, contact the Office of the Grafton County 
Attorney at 787-6968 or the drug court coordinator's office at 787-2042. 
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