
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 5, 1995                   TAG: 9507050110
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PROGRAM PUTS DRUG OFFENDERS ON FAST TRACK TO TREATMENT

More than two-thirds of the inmates in Virginia jails need substance abuse treatment, and a similar percentage of the offenders on probation use illegal drugs.

Faced with those statistics, compiled from a 1992 state survey, Roanoke court officials decided last year to try a new approach in dealing with drug abuse, which is often reflected in crimes ranging from shoplifting to murder.

In April 1994, the judges of the 23rd Judicial Circuit - which includes Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem - began to study creating a drug court that would offer treatment to addicts and nonviolent dealers.

When the first session of Drug Court is held Sept. 1, it will be the first such program in the state, according to Roanoke Circuit Judge Diane Strickland, and the 38th program nationwide.

Since the first drug court was created in 1989 in Dade County, Fla., the concept has gained popularity as a way to fast-track drug offenders directly from the street to a treatment program within days of their arrest.

"One of the pillars of all of the programs across the country is to get to the offender the minute they first come before the court system, when they are most likely to realize the consequences of their actions and have the most motivation to seek help," Roanoke Circuit Judge Diane Strickland said.

The ultimate hope is that drug courts will reduce recidivism by addressing the root cause of criminal activity instead of imposing punishment after the fact.

That appears to be the case in Oakland, Calif., where a drug court was created several years ago. A study conducted in 1991 found that the rate of recidivism of drug court participants was nearly half that of a similar group of offenders who did not complete the program.

Based on the study, Oakland court officials estimated a reduction of 664 arrests in 1991, leading to a projected savings of $209,057.

And with overcrowding a constant problem in Virginia's jails and prisons, the drug court is seen as a more cost-effective way to deal with narcotics cases. The Drug Court in Roanoke is expected to cost between $3,000 and $4,000 per offender annually, compared with the $18,000 it would cost to incarcerate the same person for a year.

by CNB