Pubdate: Wed, 02 Jan 2008
Source: Scott County Times, The (MS)
Copyright: 2008 The Scott County Times
Contact:  http://www.sctonline.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4116
Author: Tami K. Phillips, Times Features Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

SIX COMPLETE FIRST DRUG COURT GRADUATION

CARTHAGE--The new year is generally a time to start  fresh with new
outlooks on life and for six people who  recently graduated from the
Eighth Circuit Drug Court,  2008 couldn't be brighter.

The six graduates, many Scott County residents, are  proof that you
can succeed in life after a drug  conviction.

The six were honored during the court's first  graduation held on Dec.
18 in Leake County. Their  graduation follows many months of
rehabilitation  programs, Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings,
  frequent drug testing and intensive judicial  supervision.

"These graduations represent a long, hard struggle to  gain control of
addictions, both drug and  alcohol-related," said Drug Court
Coordinator Marcus  Ellis. "They are drug and alcohol-free,
contributing  members of society. They are in control of their  lives."

The graduates included a surgical technician who  recently finished
college, a survey crew chief, a  trucker, a father and his daughter
and a grandmother.

John Buckley, the survey crew chief, thanked Judge  Cotten, the Drug
Court staff and his boss, who attended  the program. "I was lucky with
an employer standing  behind me," he said.

The mother of the surgical technician said in a letter  to the court
that the Drug Court program opened new  opportunities for her
daughter's future.

In addition to the graduates, the Drug Court recognized  seven people
who are advancing to the final phase of a  year of unsupervised
probation and 16 people who are  moving to phase three.

Drug Court Probation Officer Vicky Patrick said she  believes Drug
Court is saving lives each and every day.

"You can keep putting people in prison but if you don't  rehabilitate
them, it doesn't do any good," Patrick  said. "In drug court, you can
give them  rehabilitation."

Patrick's job requires administering a lot of "tough  love," but the
end result is worth it as drug court  participants can finish the
program in as little as  three years if they play their cards correctly.

"They earned it," Patrick said about the six graduates.  "They stayed
clean and they paid their fines and fees.  They did what was asked of
them."

Twenty-three drug courts operate in Mississippi.  Fifteen deal with
adult offenders; eight deal with  juveniles.

The Eighth Judicial District includes Leake, Neshoba,  Newton and
Scott Counties.

Drug courts offer the incentive of a chance to remain  out of jail and
the sanction of a jail sentence if  participants fail to remain
drug-free and in compliance  with all program requirements.

Circuit Judge Vernon Cotten of Carthage formed the  program in
December 2003.

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice James W. Smith  Jr., guest
speaker for the Drug Court graduation, said  opportunity is knocking
on their doors.

He challenged the graduates to seize the opportunity  for a new life,
have vision and set goals for  themselves. He told them to keep a
positive attitude  and to persevere when the inevitable difficulties
occur  again.

"Adversity doesn't break you. It makes you stronger,"  Chief Justice
Smith said. "If you get knocked down, get  right back up. Live your
lives and pursue your dreams  and goals and visions and pass them
along to your  children."

Drug Court participant Janis Norris, who moved into the  fourth and
final phase of the program on Dec. 18, said  she is living proof that
the program works.

"If it wasn't for this (program), I wouldn't be  standing here. I
would probably be dead," said Norris,  who was addicted to crack
cocaine for eight years  before she was arrested on a drug possession
charge in  2003.

"This drug court has changed my life. It can change  yours too,"
Norris said. "It's all about change. It's  all about the choices you
make in your life."

Judge Cotten said the Eighth District Drug Court  program has a
success rate of 90 to 95 percent among  participants who have been
accepted into the program.

Participants pay for their own treatment, pay for  frequent drug
testing, and pay their fines. Since the  program was created in
January 2004, the Drug Court has  collected $126,681 in fines.

The program has 130 participants. Judge Cotten  estimated that if they
were all sitting in prison, it  would cost about $2.25 million a year
to house them.  That's 10 times the Drug Court's annual budget of
$225,000.

Chief Justice Smith called the drug courts across the  state "the
bright, shining star that has proven its  worth and value."

Probation Officer Patrick praised drug courts but said  that in the
end, success depends on the participants  themselves.

"You win some and you lose some," Patrick said. "But as  long as you
know they gave 110 percent, that's all we  can do."
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