Rid Board Supports Drug Court for Anderson County

By Gail Myers

Ron Hanaver, Director of the Drug Court of Knox County, was the guest speaker at the June 2003 meeting of RID - Remove Intoxicated Drivers. In addition to the RID Board members, Avery Johnson and Diane Moore of the Anderson Co. Sheriff Dept. and the Honorable James B. “Buddy&8221; Scott, Criminal Court Judge of Anderson County, were also present. Mr. Hanaver has a background in both juvenile and adult substance abuse treatment. The planning phase for the Drug Court of Knox Co. started in November 1997. It originated in General Sessions Court and moved to Criminal Court with Judge Baumgartner in 2000. The Drug Court is strictly voluntary and the judge refers participants most of the time, but sometimes by the prosecutor. The participant must be at least 18 years of age, chemically dependant, and a non-violent offender. Several checks are made by the District Attorney to make sure that there are no outstanding violent felony charges or weapon charges. After an intense assessment by the staff, the offender may be recommended for treatment through the Drug Court. The judge makes the ultimate decision based on the Drug Court team’s findings. The team consists of the case managers, police officers, state and county probation officers, mental health services, halfway house providers and members of the Health Dept.

This program is an alternative to serving jail time and consists of intense counseling and the participant must want to get off drugs and alcohol, and to change their lifestyle. There are three phases in the treatment plan and each one requires routine and random drug screens, group and individual counseling, educational sessions and community service. Each participant is recognized in court when they have “passed” a phase or have progressed. Small rewards are sometimes given out and at special times of the year, appropriate activities are planned. Graduation eligibility comes after completion of requirements, completion of treatment goals, negative drug screens for 90 days, family sessions, peer review, complete payment of all court costs/fines, Drug Court fees and any restitution.

Graduates receive a diploma and are encouraged to have family members or their support groups to join in the recognition of their accomplishment. This program provides motivation to work toward getting off drugs and alcohol. Research has shown that at the time of the 1st DUI, 30% of the offenders are likely to be chemically dependent, at the time of the 2nd DUI, 60 to 70% are chemically dependent and at the 3rd DUI, 90 to 95% are chemically dependent. According to Kelly Dagenhart, president of RID, statistics have shown that 75% of the DUI multiple offenders in Fulton County New York Drug Court Program who chose the program and completed it have stayed incident free for two years. The Knox County Drug Court has shown it can provide a cost-effective alternative to “traditional punishment”. After all, chemical dependency is an illness that needs treatment, just like any other illness.

This is a program that will benefit Anderson County. RID is interested in getting a Drug Court started, but plans are still in the very early stages and all the resources to fund the program must be found. A Drug Court Treatment Act was passed in June 2003 by the Tennessee General Assembly to establish funds for new Drug Courts in Tennessee and to continue ones already established. Since our county is quite a bit smaller in population, maybe a combination of DUI and Drug Court would work better. Dagenhart has spoken to District Attorney General James Ramsey, who also supports the idea. If such a program is started in Anderson County, Judge Scott has agreed to supervise it. It will take the combined efforts of several agencies and groups to see such a program started here. As of October 2003, two additional meetings have been held to discuss establishing the Anderson County Drug Court. Plans are currently underway to obtain the grant monies to start the court.