Reed: Drug Court better for society than prison time.
Photo by Jeffrey Saulton
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Reed: Drug Court better for society than prison time. |
Photo by Jeffrey Saulton |
PARKERSBURG — A new way to deal with drug problems has been under way in Wood County since last summer. | Instead of putting people who have committed non-violent drug offenses in jail and prison, they now have an option of going through treatment in the West Central Regional Drug Court. Wood County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Reed presides over the drug court. He spoke Monday at the meeting of the Rotary Club of Parkersburg about the program and why it is better in the long run for society. Reed said the drug court handles cases only for Wood and Wirt counties; however, he said the court may cover more counties in the future. In 2002, 77 percent of those in the corrections system who were convicted of drug offenses were involved with alcohol or drugs at the time they committed the crime, Reed said. In Wood County, 75 percent of all riminal cases involve a substance abuse problem, Reed said. Reed said there are three ways to treat drug problems: put the offenders in jail or prison, put them in jail or prison with treatment or place them in a treatment program. He said the problem with the first two options are they simply do no work. “In its most common form the drug court is a combination of substance abuse treatment and the court system,” he said. “Prison populations in the last 20 years have increased by 1,000 percent; in 1970 we had 200,000 prisoners (in the United States) and in 2003 we had more than two million,” Reed said. Reed said those who go through the program are non-violent offenders and have been referred from law enforcement or the court system. Individuals not eligible include those who used guns or violence in their crimes, are dealers or manufacturers, sex offenders, charged with crimes involving firearms and those who have committed crimes against children. Among those who have gone through the program in other areas since 2005, Reed said, the repeat offender rate is 17 percent compared to 66 percent for all who have been convicted. Court costs for the average case is $3,500 compared to prison costs ranging from $13,000 to $34,000 annually. In West Virginia, Reed said, the drug court is a post-plea court, where individuals must first plead guilty to the offense before the treatment can begin. He said the court coordinator, the judge, the prosecution and defense work as a team for those in the program to support them in breaking away from substance abuse. “In this court they waive a right to an attorney, since we work one on one, and they also consent to searches at any time to make sure they are in a good environment,” he said. In drug court there are three phases in the program. In the first phase the defendant must call the drug court coordinator every day, attend at least two meetings of Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, submit to a weekly drug screening, attend weekly drug court sessions and be clean of drug use for 60 days. “They also have to write the court a letter telling us why they should move on to the second phase.” In the second phase the schedule is the same except they only attend drug court every other week and in the third phase they need to come to court once a month. Upon completion the case goes back on the docket and the court considers whether the person completed the program successfully and that influences the final sentence. Contact Jeffrey Saulton at jsaulton@newsandsentinel.com
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