Pubdate: Sun, 09 Mar 2008
Source: Kitsap Sun (WA)
Copyright: 2008 Kitsap Sun
Contact: http://web.kitsapsun.com/scripts/letters.html
Website: http://www.kitsapsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4404
Author: Josh Farley

DOLLAR-STRAPPED DRUG COURT BAILED OUT - FOR NOW

Kitsap's cities and county government have provided a  financial
Band-Aid of $30,000 for the drug court, which  has faced an uncertain
future since the loss of a  critical federal grant in January.

Beyond those funds, however, local leaders have yet to  find a
long-term solution for the court.

"We're all going to work really hard to get this money  reinstated on
a permanent basis," said Bremerton Mayor  Cary Bozeman, whose city
contributed about $4,000 of  the emergency funds. "But there are no
easy answers."

Superior Court Judge Jay Roof, who has presided over  the drug court
program since its inception in 1998, has  appealed to all levels of
government aE" local, state  and federal aE" to foot a $60,000 per
year bill for the  program's compliance officer.

Drug court, an option for some nonviolent drug  offenders, combines
stringent treatment with  accountability: drug tests and personal
checks of a  participant's home and workplace. Failure to comply  with
the program spurs Roof to issue the longest jail  sentence possible
for their original offense.

But without a compliance officer, the court can't  ensure participants
are holding up their end of the  bargain away from the courthouse.

The drug court once had a Department of Corrections  officer and a
compliance officer to oversee  participants. They lost the corrections
officer last  year. The compliance officer, which cost $60,000, was
lost in January when a federal grant expired.

The drug court has appealed the loss of the grant. Roof  has also
approached U.S. Sen. Patty Murray to bring in  more federal money. On
the state level, Roof has also  asked several members of the
Legislature to help  provide funding, but nothing has
materialized.

But it was in Kitsap that money was found. The Kitsap  Regional
Coordinating Council, including Kitsap's four  cities and the county's
government, put the money  together "in record time," said Poulsbo
Mayor Kathryn  Quade.

"We felt if we could each pitch in, $30,000 buys us six  months," said
Jan Angel, South Kitsap county  commissioner. The county contributed
the bulk of the  funding, with almost $20,000.

Many local officials feel strongly about the program.  Not only for
the drug offenders who "graduate" and who  have been weaned of drugs,
but for future costs to  society in criminal activity and
incarceration.

"We save hundreds of thousands, if not millions of  dollars, with this
program," Bozeman said.

The local leaders acknowledged a permanent solution to  provide
$60,000 per year hadn't yet been found. Roof  said he's "cautiously
optimistic" they can find the  money.

If other funding isn't found, the coordinating council  could be asked
again for money when the $30,000 dries  up. It's a prospect Quade
admits may be necessary.

I'm fully prepared to ask (members of the council) to  step up again,"
she said. "This is something we can't  afford to lose."

Chipping In

The following governments contributed temporary funds  to pay for a
compliance officer for Kitsap County's  drug court:

Kitsap County: $19,740

Bremerton: $3,900

Bainbridge Island: $4,410

Port Orchard: $930

Poulsbo: $1,020
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MAP posted-by: Derek