Pubdate: Mon, 05 Jan 2009
Source: Demopolis Times, The (AL)
Copyright: 2009 Demopolis Times
Contact:  http://www.demopolistimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1804
Author: Leewanna Parker
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

DRUG COURT HELPS NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS

The 17th Judicial Drug Court isn't even a year old yet  and it hasn't 
run its first full cycle, but already the  team in charge of this 
alternate means of dealing with  addicts in the court system are 
optimistic, even  excited.

Greg Griggers, who serves as the "gatekeeper" for the  official team 
and performs the legal screening for each  applicant, said the idea 
behind drug court is to help  addicts receive the help they need to 
become drug-free,  rather than toss non-violent offenders with 
possesion  charges into jails.

"Not just anyone can get into drug court," Griggers  said. "These are 
addicts who are charged with  possession or some other criminal 
charge they commit  because they are addicts. For example, we have a 
couple in the drug court program who have cases of forgery  because 
they forged the checks to buy drugs."

Non-violent offenders who have generally clean records  may apply and 
be accepted into this program that  ultimately gives the offender a 
second chance. But  don't confuse it with a "get out of jail free 
card,"  warned Griggers. There is atonement that is required  after 
an offender pleads guilty to possession of drugs  or paraphernalia.

The program allows the participant to enter a guilty  plea, then 
commit to more than a year of various steps  meant to free the addict 
of his addiction and pay his  debt to the court. The 17th Judicial 
Court judge, Eddie  Hardaway, may sanction the drug addict to a 
rehabilitation program, order him to pay fines and  court costs, 
complete the GED process, perform  community service, find 
employment, take drug  screenings or other orders that are directed 
toward  rehab.

According to Joane Holloway, the executive director for  the program 
based in Livingston, the extra work "is  definitely worth the 
effort." Holloway said that even  though the program only began in 
September in Marengo,  Sumter and Greene counties, she can already 
see a difference in the lives of those who have chosen this  path 
over the traditional court battle and, perhaps,  prison sentence 
meant to punish rather than offer  treatment and a real chance to 
recover from addiction.

"We're starting off very well," Holloway said. "We work  very closely 
with these offenders. I truly believe  we're doing what we set out to 
do. The participants see  we care about them and they open up and 
work toward the  healing process. I can't tell you how many of them 
I've heard say nobody ever cared about them before."

Griggers is encouraged as well.

"Some of them have been fun to watch," Griggers said.  "We've got one 
young lady who was just into everything.  She was running with a bad 
crowd so she could get  drugs. Now, she's got a job, a promotion and 
she's  paying her fees. She's done everything we asked her to  do, 
and she's proud of herself. We have another who has  been reunited 
with her kids. One guy is a now a  full-time chef.

"It will help the circuit dramatically if we reduce the  drug use and 
the crimes that go along with that. It's  set up to help drug 
addicts. Based on the drug courts  that are operating, these programs 
are successful in  that there is less liklihood of them going back 
and re-offending if they stick with the program."

The district attorney and Holloway are only two people  who form the 
drug court team for the 17th Judicial  Circuit. In addition, there is 
Hardaway, defense  attorney David Shaw, Greene County district court 
representative Doris Jordan, Thomas Lewis of the Sumter  County 
sheriff's office and Crystal Walter, the court  referral officer with 
the West Alabama Mental Health  Center.

Together, this team stays on top of the program.  Griggers said the 
program offers offenders in the  program a new beginning without the 
weight of a  criminal record, but that is only if they 
complete  every step and submit to after-care for another six  months 
upon completing the year-long recovery and  atonement.

"Our biggest goal is to make these offenders  drug-free," Griggers 
said. "The biggest challenge is  staying financially afloat. We're 
still working out  some of the rough spots, but that's part of anything  new."

The drug court program is completely voluntary.  Withdrawing from the 
program requires the judge to pass  sentence that can be from a year 
and a day to up to 10  years in jail.

"It is so contrary to what a prosecutor usually does,"  Griggers 
said. "I feel good about this," citing the  members of the team who 
have worked hard to make it  succeed, the effort to reduce the prison 
population,  and a chance to restore the lives of the offenders and 
their families.

While Holloway and Griggers agree the project is  rewarding, both 
worry about funding and resources,  "which really all comes back to 
funding," Griggers  said, "because if we have the money, we can find 
the  resources."

The DA's hope is that the program will become  self-supporting as it 
grows, with the participants  paying for the program though the 
imposed fines and  fees. For now, however, the 10 who are in the 
program  are giving this distinguished drug court team the drive  to 
carry it forward with grants and grit.

Holloway said the new court is gaining the approval of  some outside 
sources as well.

"The community is hearing about it," she said, "and I'm  not getting 
complaints, but rather offers to help us  make this a success."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom