Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (Huntington, WV) Copyright: 2009 The Herald-Dispatch Contact: http://www.hdonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454 Author: Curtis Johnson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) CABELL COUNTY'S ADULT DRUG COURT TO START WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS HUNTINGTON -- Cabell County will start its adult drug court within weeks, making it one five new drug courts set to open this year in West Virginia, according to the county's Chief Probation Officer Johnny Winkler. The program is funded through state Supreme Court of Appeals. Cabell County's program will target felony offenders whose nonviolent crimes are committed to fuel a drug addiction. For some candidates, the opportunity will be the only alternative to prison. Winkler said repeated arrests and past problems will rule them ineligible for other programs. He hopes drug court provides a structured lifestyle and an opportunity for changed lives. "We are going to try to fill their time with things other than drugs and show them that life can continue very well if you're not on drugs," Winkler said. "It's going to take a period of time initially to break that cycle. The people who are severely addicted, (drugs are) the first thing they think about, if anything goes wrong in their life." Each offender will enter a guilty plea before Cabell Circuit Judge Dan O'Hanlon, who will postpone sentencing to provide the offender time to finish the program. Winkler said successful completion means the person could be set free and discharged from probation. The phased program begins with weekly appearances before Family Court Judge Patricia Keller, who will oversee the court's day-to-day operations. Each week also will include multiple meetings with substance abuse counselors and probation officers. The intense treatment and supervision eventually will subside and the program's aim is for the offender to gain meaningful employment. Winkler estimates completion will take offenders a minimum of 18 months. County prosecutors will approve each participant. They will assist in operating the program, along with the county's Day Report Center, the judges and probation officers. The drug court's probation officer will be sworn in Jan. 20. Training will take six weeks. Winkler hopes the program begins within eight weeks of the swearing in. Winkler and Keller hope the adult program mimics success at the juvenile level. The county's juvenile drug court reopened in August 2007. "Very few of the graduates have come back into the system," Winkler said. "The juvenile drug court system tries to catch the kids before they get fully ingrained in this and try to break that pattern ... The adult drug court system is going to be getting the people, unfortunately, that have had years and years and years of substance abuse." The state's other new programs will be in Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Kanawha, Monongalia and Preston counties. State officials have said such courts could help West Virginia's inmate population problem. West Virginia has more than 1,000 inmates being held in the state's 10 regional jails rather than in a state prison. The situation is expected to get worse because the state's inmate population is projected to surpass 7,000 by 2012. State statistics show that 80 percent of inmates have a drug or alcohol problem, but only 20 percent were charged with a drug-related crime. West Virginia's first drug court opened in the Northern Panhandle in 2005. According to the state Supreme Court, drug courts also have been created to serve Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mercer, Wirt and Wood counties. Drug courts for juveniles have been established in Cabell and Wayne counties. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin