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Court News Ohio
May is National
Drug Court Month
By Jenna Gant
May 13, 2016
Courts across the country are celebrating National Drug Court Month.
Coordinated by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
(NADCP), May honors courts that help individuals find an alternative
route to get the support they need to fight addictions.
This year’s national theme is “Criminal Justice Reform in Action,” and
it recognizes drug court participants and graduates who are learning to
be productive members of society.
According to the NADCP, there are more than 2,900 drug courts across
the nation serving about 150,000 individuals each year. Since 1989,
about 1.4 million offenders have graduated from drug courts.
NADCP said drug courts are considered the foundation of criminal
justice reform and the most effective strategy to reduce substance
abuse, crime, and repeat offenses.
Here in the Buckeye state, the Ohio Supreme Court has 91 drug court in
the certification process – 18 of those are juvenile drug courts. The
state ranks ninth in the nation in terms of the number of drug courts.
“Ohio is no stranger to the heroin and opiate epidemic that has
affected the lives of thousands. It’s important that we acknowledge the
drug courts across the state that are combining treatment with
accountability to achieve successes that are measured by a reduction in
the number of individuals who reoffend,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor
said.
Richland County is celebrating National Drug Court Month. County
Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing “the valuable
contribution that has been made in addressing the drug abuse crisis in
our community and throughout the state and nation.” An information
booth was set up in the common pleas courthouse and National Drug Court
flags were flown outside.
Richland County Substance Abuse Treatment Court has served nearly 1,200
drug court participants in its 19-year history. About 70 percent of
those participants have successfully completed the program. The county
continued its celebration yesterday with a graduation for current
participants who completed the drug court program.
Hamilton County started the state’s first drug court in 1995. The Ohio
Supreme Court started requiring local courts to certify their
specialized docket programs in 2014. The Court created the
certification process to ensure the quality and consistency in these
programs statewide, and Ohio is only one of five states nationwide that
mandates certification. The state currently has 215 specialized dockets
– many which address drug addiction – including veterans courts, human
trafficking dockets, reentry courts, and family dependency treatment
courts.
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