Drug Court and Meth Myths
Comments on this and other local blogs make clear that there are some gross misconceptions about how Drug Court works and how people who do meth wind up there and/or in jail. There are experts on this (Judge Nelson, Sheriff Bergin, DA Marquis) who could provide much more in-depth info, but let me try to shed a little light.
First: Once in a while the wee tiny Drug Team, to which the City of Astoria does not contribute an officer, will find and target a dealer and interrupt his day after a stern knock at the door. But no one is getting busted while sitting on their couch after a hard day at work, watching Wheel of Fortune and relaxing with a beer and a bowl they bought from somebody else earlier that day.
Meth users are in Drug Court and/or jail because meth was found on them or in them when they were caught doing something else -- driving under the influence or menacing or the like.
If the user doesn't have a record, or at least not much of one, the DA will recommend the user for Track 1 Drug Court, and if the offender successfully completes the program, the drug charges are dismissed.
A few, multiple offenders are recommended for Track 2 Drug Court. Same courtroom, same time, but the charges won't be dropped even with successful completion of the program. This is essentially probation with intense supervision. There was a guy in Drug Court a couple weeks ago, when I attended, who was working to avoid 50 months in prison -- a true rarity.
Second: Drug Court is not just another court. It is a full-service, intense supervision, one-year treatment program. Offenders must be assessed by Lifeworks NW within a couple weeks of entering the program and are then referred to one or several of the treatment programs offered -- AA, NA, Thugz off Drugz, counseling through Lifeworks NW, etc. Offenders must come to court every Wednesday, where they talk with Judge Nelson about their week and are given encouragment to "keep up the good work" or "get on track this week." The probation officer and an assessment person sits at the table with them. They're required to give weekly, random urine tests. Just coming to Drug Court is an affirmation program in itself.
Do we need more treatment options? Yes. Is meth use a myth? Take an hour next Wednesday morning, from 8:30 to 9:30, visit Drug Court and see for yourself.
6 Comments:
Yes this is all good and dandy, but it is not near enough and basically has no funding.
Now the proposal, headed up by Alice Beck (who happens to slam "Beer with dinner" parents) is this 20+ million (and please someone step up and prove me wrong when I write this figure, not ad hoc attacks like in the past) dollar plan to "fight meth":
Recommendations were:
Identification
• Train teachers, parents, judges and employers to recognize the signs of meth use;
• Create neighborhood watches or associations to help people get to know their neighbors, support each other and identify suspected drug activity;
• Help employers promote drug-free workplaces and get the Chambers of Commerce involved;
• Have small businesses work together on drug testing to get reduced rates;
Prevention
• Organize efforts among agencies, schools, law enforcement, the Department of Human Services and other local groups to identify and serve at-risk youth;
• Create a speakers’ bureau of children and adults to talk to the community about the dangers of meth;
• Have a drug education program for middle and high schools, including recovering youth as speakers. “They could communicate more on the level of the younger people,” Steve Parsons from the Warrenton School Board said while presenting the idea;
• Promote positive youth development, parenting education and mentoring;
Enforcement
• Increase the number of jail beds and connect them with treatment;
• Create a countywide drug team and an enforcement plan;
• Increase the funding of the existing Clatsop County Inter-Agency Narcotics Team;
• Write to legislators advocating a stable funding source for law enforcement;
Assistance
• Pray for those affected by meth and other addictions and encourage members of churches and the clergy to help in the community, not just in their own congregations;
• Support and educate families of addicts;
• Create more transitional housing, including a women’s long-term residence in Astoria;
• Set up more collaboration between various agencies that may be working to help the same people;
Treatment
• Build a bridge between treatment programs and long-term maintenance programs;
• Provide more help for teenagers between 13 and 17;
• Create a Meth Addiction Response Team of people from law enforcement, DHS, the Women’s Resource Center and other agencies to focus intensely on meth users and their families to get them hooked up to resources;
• Create a drug court for the family and juvenile courts, copying the intense monitoring of the Drug Court that is part of the criminal court, but serving people who are not in trouble with the law;
• Provide affordable, available drug treatment within Clatsop County that is not tied to the correctional system.
Is meth that big of a problem that we must throw this much money at it? And who with a straight face can say this plan will stop "meth in it's tracks"?
Is meth "overblown"? maybe.
Is throwing future budgets away and getting into debt over the 1.5% that use meth necessary? No, and if it is meth use is "overblown".
I would like to hear the words "Intense Treatment"
I wonder what the cost is for Intense Supervision VS Intense Treatment?
I would like to hear the words "Intense Treatment"
Right idea but wrong State, you will have to move to
Why? I don't wish to move.
Because I doubt Oregon will go that route, and we know by the "drug recommendations" above that it won't happen around here either.
Yes, we need more treatment options!
No, we don't need more jail space!
I worry about the drug court not being able to provide more treatment, less jail. I'm sure jail wakes some of the offenders up
I don't believe sitting in a classroom is treatment.
How long does meth stay in a person system?
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