Celebrating 25 Years of Changing Lives with Drug Court
Guest Commentary from Judge Janeice Martin
On September 17, the 20th Judicial Circuit celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Collier County Adult Felony Drug Court in Courtroom 2A of the Collier County Courthouse. Former Drug Court Judges William Blackwell and Christine Greider spoke at the event, and several graduates of the program shared their experiences and inspiring stories of overcoming addiction and changing for the better.
Now, you might be wondering how the Drug Court works. In Collier, we only include persons with felony cases, and who are “post-adjudication,” which means all have pled to their charges and been sentenced to Drug Court (18-36 months, typically). It’s a voluntary program, but once they “plea in”, they are obligated to a rigorous program of treatment and accountability that many persons simply aren’t willing to attempt. Our clients get significant help and support to assist them in complying with intensive treatment, testing, and reporting, all while maintaining life in the community – having jobs, paying rent, raising kids, etc. Our clients will quickly agree that doing time is MUCH easier than getting at the root of the issues that have landed them in jails and institutions, often for many years, and turning their lives around.
A national study found that for every $1 that gets invested into a drug court for things like treatment and case management support, an average of $3.33 is saved in hard justice costs (incarceration, judge time, prosecutor time, new arrests, and the like). If we shift to soft costs (e.g., children in foster care, lost productivity, unpaid ER visits, crisis unit admissions, and the like), that number shoots up to $27 returned for every $1 invested.
Read more here.
