County Seeks Grant To Expand Drug Court Federal Funds Would Allow Teens To Be Sent Through Pilot Program That Advocates Treatment To Break Cycle Of Drug Crimes

Spokane County judges said Wednesday a hefty federal grant will let them start sending teens through a year-old Drug Court program.

County commissioners this week agreed to spend about $16,000 in order to get a $200,000 federal grant for the pilot program, which began in early 1996.

More than 70 adults have taken part so far in Drug Court, which removes drug offenders from standard criminal procedures and forces them into treatment, counseling and weekly visits with a judge.

Advocates say the program takes aim at drug addicts who commit crime after crime to support their habit.

“I’m convinced the Drug Court is doing good things,” said Commissioner Phil Harris. He agreed to spend county money to get the grant, but warned Superior Court judges during a Tuesday meeting that “you’ll have to stop asking” for local money eventually.

Allowing juveniles to take part means the county can also fight what Superior Court Judge James Murphy called the “family history and connection” that sometimes perpetuates drug use.

“Many of these instances are juveniles whose use of drugs has been permitted or encouraged within the family,” said Murphy. He has been the Drug Court judge since the program started. The major cost in broadening the program to include teens is paying for the high volume of drug tests and ongoing treatment programs needed, said Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen.

The grant will allow Drug Court to continue through at least July 1998, Eitzen said.

Drug Court’s first year was covered by other federal grant money. Being a pilot program, its future depends on finding a variety of funding sources to pay for salaries and services.

The grant also helps pay for two full-time positions - a deputy prosecutor and a public defender. The two positions would be devoted mostly to Drug Court matters. Currently, a defender and deputy prosecutor include Drug Court matters with other duties.

Spokane’s program, one of several in Washington, is modeled after dozens of similar efforts nationwide that started in the late 1980s.

Instead of being prosecuted, participating drug users admit they have a problem, undergo treatment and ongoing testing, and seek whatever counseling they can to stay clean.

Tests show five Spokane residents who graduated from Drug Court have been drug-free for a full year, Murphy said. The $200,000 grant will also let Drug Court directors add tougher sanctions for participants who break the rules, the judge said.

Until now, defendants who fail to stay clean end up facing criminal charges and tend to revert to the activities that got them into trouble initially, Murphy said.

Extra money for the program means offenders who are struggling to stay clean can be placed at inpatient treatment centers, Murphy said. Those centers would provide higher security and more monitoring for Drug Court participants.

, DataTimes