Pubdate: Sat, 26 May 2007
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2007 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Jim Haley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

DRUG COURT TO HELP HALF AS MANY

The Program Works, But It's Short On Staff - And Money

EVERETT - She was an addict for 10 years.

Her drug of choice was methamphetamine, "and any other  drug I could 
get a hold of," she said.

Child Protective Services put her two children in  foster homes and 
Celina Forget (pronounced For-Jay)  lived in her car or wherever she 
could find a place.

When she was arrested for drug possession and faced  jail and a 
felony record, she decided to do something  about her life.

With the help of an intensive Snohomish County drug  program commonly 
called Drug Court, the single mom put  her life together, beat the 
addiction, got her kids  back and is thriving with a job at a 
Lynnwood retail  store.

Now, it's likely that the number of people like Forget  who can be 
helped by Drug Court will steadily drop.

The county's judges have decided to reduce the number  of people in 
the program from the current level of 150  to 75.

"Drug Court gave me the boundaries I needed to live  life without 
illegal activity," Forget said Tuesday.  "Drug Court is the best 
thing that has ever happened to  me as far as changing my life."

The 34-year-old Marysville woman was required to  undergo frequent 
drug testing and treatment, attend  support group meetings and get a 
once-a-week report  card from a Superior Court judge during Drug 
Court sessions.

The decision to gradually reduce the number of people  in the program 
was not an easy one, said Judge George  Bowen, who heads the Drug 
Court program. He  acknowledges that a client load of 200 or 300 
could be  met if enough money were available.

The program has one full-time coordinator who works a  big caseload, 
including initial interviews, with the  help of an intern.

"With the departure of an unpaid intern earlier this  year, we simply 
have no choice but to reduce the number  of active participants so we 
can operate within  available resources," Bowden said May 7 in a 
letter  announcing the freeze on new participants.

In an interview, he said, "It became very apparent that  we were 
working our coordinator into the ground."

He's not the only one disheartened.

"I'm very upset by it because a lot of people who want  to get in 
(Drug Court) won't be able to get in now,"  said Marybeth Dingledy, a 
public defender who  participates and represents those enrolled.

"It's bad news because there are a lot of people who  would benefit 
from the program in a number of ways - by  getting their lives back 
on track, by keeping a felony  off their record, by creating a future 
for themselves,"  Dingledy said. "Now they don't have a chance."

A deputy prosecutor, Tim Geraghty, who also monitors  Drug Court 
participants, said there's a big need for  the program. Participants 
are much less likely to  commit a crime to get money for a quick fix.

"I feel bad for the people who want treatment and kind  of need the 
carrot of Drug Court to convince them to  become clean and sober so 
they become contributing  members of society," Geraghty said. "Here's 
a program  that works, and there's a need for it."

It does work, Bowden said.

Of the 257 people who have graduated from the program  over the 
years, only 17 have committed new crimes,  about a 94 percent success rate.

The judges made getting a second coordinator an  emphasis in last 
year's county budget request, but the  money was cut. Bob 
Terwilliger, court administrator,  said the judges will make another 
attempt this year to  get additional funding from the Snohomish 
County  Council.

At the least, Bowden said the second coordinator again  will be a 
priority in the 2008 budget request.

It costs the county an average of $7,350 for each  participant over a 
17-month program. The program is  supported through county, state and 
federal money.

In the long run, Bowden said, the program saves a lot  of money in 
prosecution and incarceration. There are  intangible benefits, too, 
such as saving the cost of  criminal acts on the street, getting 
people off welfare  and having them earning a living and paying taxes.

Those now who have signed up for the program - about 60  or 70 - will 
be able to continue. It may take a year or  more to get down to the 
goal of 75 through successful  graduations or people dropping out or 
being kicked out.

Graduate Forget said Drug Court helped her develop  positive habits, 
ones she's trying to pass on to her  two children.

"It's discouraging that they don't have the funding for  300 people 
because that's 300 people not out in the  community committing 
crimes," Forget said. "I learned  to think before I act. It gave me a 
reason to stay off  drugs."
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