Pubdate: Mon, 24 Mar 2008
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Jim Haley

COUNTY DRUG COURT: WORTHY OF FEDERAL DOLLARS?

Rep. Rick Larsen wants to keep federal funds flowing to  a program
that offers an alternative to jail for  nonviolent adult offenders.

A young man who used to sleep in a plywood box in a  barn now has an
apartment and is doing well.

He got a round of applause, even though he is behind  paying for
court-ordered drug tests.

Another man, a newcomer to the Snohomish County adult  drug court, was
asked by a judge how long he had been  clean and sober.

"I'm on my second day now," he responded. More  applause. That's the
kind of peer support that keeps  many of those in drug court going.

On the side of the courtroom earlier this month recent  drug court
session was a guest who was observing and  learning. He wants to use
the Snohomish County Superior  Court program as an example nationally
in his effort to  restore federal funding for drug courts.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and an aide sat through  Judge George
Bowden's adult drug court earlier this  month. He also visited one of
the drug treatment  providers used by the local drug court to help
people  combat addiction.

Larsen was gathering ammunition for a battle in  Congress to keep
federal dollars flowing to drug courts  around the country. The money
also is used to train  judges and others who run them.

"If you talk to these folks it's not a vacation at all,  but they are
given the tools to be successful," Larsen  said of the rigid program
that features sanctions,  including short jail stints, for not staying
clean or  attending support group meetings.

The congressman is co-chairman of the Congressional  Caucus to Fight
and Control Methamphetamine. He  testified last month in front of a
key budget committee  on the importance of supporting drug courts, as
well as  providing law enforcement agencies with the money they  need
to fight drug trafficking.

The Bush Administration has proposed cutting all money  for drug
courts and slashing funding to support  detectives assigned to
operations such as the Snohomish  Regional Drug Task Force. Larsen
said he strongly  supports treatment and law enforcement efforts to
lock  up drug dealers.

Officially called Choosing Healthy Alternatives and  Treatment, the
adult drug court is one of four now  operating in Snohomish County.
Nonviolent addicts spend  months attending drug court and
participating in  treatment instead of going to jail for crimes.

There also are two drug courts in Snohomish County  Juvenile Court,
one for young offenders and the other  for teens thought to be at risk
of getting into  trouble. In addition, there's a new "family" drug
treatment court started as a pilot project at the  beginning of this
year to help parents who are addicted  to drugs.

Federal grants are used to start drug courts, Bowden  said. Federal
money also is used to train people who  are involved in drug court
programs, he said.

Besides full-time staff members who screen potential  candidates, a
judge, a prosecutor, a police officer and  a public defender are part
of the staff that  continually monitors the progress of
participants.

Public defender Marybeth Dingledy said it costs less in  the long run
to put people through drug court than to  toss them in jail.

"More importantly, it gets to a point where they can be  proud of
themselves," Dingledy said. "It's pretty  amazing to see people make
that transition from just  staying in jail to changing
themselves."

Bowden estimated that there are about 2,000 drug courts  now operating
around the country. Cutting federal  funding would deter more from
starting up.

"If they have another 1,000 drug courts around the  country, we'd all
be better off for it," Bowden said.

As part of his research, Larsen also visited Evergreen  Manor, an
Everett substance abuse treatment facility,  and talked with clients
who are or were in drug court.

"Frankly, the job of being in Congress is easy compared  to the job of
recovering from addiction," Larsen said  after talking with clients.
"They said their goal is  not to stay clean but to get their lives
back. The  people I talked to are well on their way to doing  that."
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