Kings County (Calif.) commits to drug court

From the Hanford Sentinel blogs:

What is leadership anyway?

For me, the word evokes the image of what transpired inside the Kings County Supervisors Chambers the other day. Last Tuesday, a group of some 40 people representing faith groups, mental health workers, public health officials, law enforcement who are all part of Kings Partnership for Prevention, a community-based coalition dedicated to prevent drugs, alcohol and other related issues. They were there to send a message to the county leaders. A message that drug addiction, mainly due to methamphetamine, is at an epidemic proportion, and not enough is done to address it.

The group ended up persuading the board to commit itself, too, in a fight against meth by adopting a resolution to work toward creating a comprehensive drug court — a significant victory for the community.

Informative video on the success of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court

Well worth the 10 minutes and 39 seconds:

"Drug Court changes lives"

From The Journal News (N.Y.):

When "Stan" entered the White Plains Drug Court program in 2004, "he was a disheveled, emaciated heroin addict from the jail cells and streets of White Plains," City Judge JoAnn Friia recalled.

"I don't think he'd been sober for one day in his entire adult life," she said. "We had to send him to detox for six months, just to get him well enough to participate in the program. We told him that if he didn't do this, he would die."

By the time he graduated from Drug Court in 2006, after 29 months of rehab, counseling and meeting the goals and requirements set by a team that included prosecution and defense lawyers, case coordinators and treatment representatives, Stan - his real name is George Brunner - had returned to college and turned his life around.

Two years later, he has graduated with high honors from Westchester Community College, where he served as student body president. He recently received a scholarship to George Washington University, where he plans to study political science and then pursue a law degree.

Judges in Ohio county unanimously vote to initiate drug court

From the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

"We are not going to be soft on crime," (Cuyahoga County) Court Administrator and former Common Pleas Judge Tom Pokorny said. "We are going to be smart on crime."

California drug court graduates seek work: "Employess in Waiting"

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

If society is to break the revolving door of crime and incarceration, former offenders need to be put to work.

* * *

(Former drug-court judge Pat) Morris had walked the two-and-a-half block line of job applicants, shaking hands and offering words of encouragement -- the same kind of positive reinforcement he gave in his drug court to offenders for staying sober, getting jobs and pursuing education.

In fact, Morris said later, he recognized many from his drug court. Some had been sober for 10 years, and were dressed in their best attire, eager to put their best foot forward.

"Given the number who showed up, it's a stunning declaration of the need for second chances for these folks," Morris told me later in a telephone interview.

"They want to work," he said. . . .

Mahalo to Dowling Community Improvement Foundation!

Dowling Community Improvement Foundation has generously provided a $5,000 grant to Friends of the Maui Drug Court!

Save the date: fundraiser in Pa`ia on Aug. 26

Friends of the Maui Drug Court will be having a fundraiser at Flatbread Pizza Company in Pa`ia during the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 26.

More details to follow later.

"Study: Drug courts could reduce prison population"

From the Missourian:

It would cost the United States $14 billion to create a national network of drug courts to steer criminals into addiction treatment rather than prison. But the investment could ultimately save the public $46 billion over the long run, according to a study released here Friday.

"Miguel Angel Garcia Helps to Honor Drug Court Graduates"

From the Ventura County (Calif.) Star:


Miguel Angel Garcia (photo by Manuel Herrera/Ventura County Star)

Miguel Angel Garcia of La Colonia/PAL Boxing Club in Oxnard may be a future star in the boxing World but he already knows the value of giving back to his community. On May 27th Miguel was invited to be a guest speaker at the eighth annual recognition ceremony for Ventura County graduates of the Juvenile and Dependency Drug Court. The ceremony was held at the Hall of Justice at the Ventura County Government center and was presided by Supervising Juvenile Judge Donald Coleman and Judge Tari Cody. Miguel was an excellent choice as a guest speaker in that he is a graduate of Pacifica High School in Oxnard with a a 3.8 grade-point average and is currently a Deans list student at Oxnard College.