Court officials in Columbus are hopeful they have found a way to establish a Problem Solving Adult Drug Court with a minimum initial financial burden on taxpayers.
A grant application that could bring in up to $500,000 over a four-year period for a new adult drug court won the blessing of the Bartholomew County Commissioners on Monday.
Problem-solving courts are designed to provide intensive supervision and counseling to low-income, drug-addicted defendants who are determined to have a high risk of relapse and/or committing a drug-related crime, Bartholomew Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin told the commissioners.
Research shows that 75 percent of drug court graduates remained arrest-free two years after their cases go through the court, the judge said during a presentation last month for the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County (ASAP).
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Bartholomew County Court Services Director Brad Barnes, who appeared with Benjamin before the commissioners, emphasized that high-profile criminals such as drug dealers are not eligible for the program, while Benjamin stressed that adult drug courts will result in lower long-term costs to taxpayers.
But establishing one in Columbus will require the hiring of an additional full-time probation officer to run the new court, as well as a part-time public defender, clerical help, and possibly a part-time prosecutor, the judge said.
“That will, quite frankly, run over $500,000 (over four years),” Benjamin said.
If the county receives the maximum amount available, it will only be enough to pay salary and benefits for the probation officer with a little left over, Barnes said.
The federal grant being sought is only meant to implement the new court, rather than provide ongoing funding, Barnes said. That means other sources of revenue will eventually have to be secured, which could include local tax dollars, he said.
A new Substance Abuse Public Funding Board, as well as both the city and county councils, will be asked to approve the establishment of the new court later this year, Benjamin said.
An online directory shows that 39 adult drug courts have been established in Indiana’s 92 counties, with another four in the planning stages.
After receiving the grant application last week from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, court officials are working quickly to complete all the paperwork by the June 5 deadline, Benjamin said.
Although it’s not known when grant recipients will be announced, the money will become available in January, Barnes said.
Created to provide leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice system, the Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $50 million in grants annually over the past three years, the judge said.
Due to increasing need, the amount available for 2019 has been raised to $95 million, Benjamin said.
After making site visits to other communities to determine best practices, Benjamin gave an overview of what to expect from the new court.
With a goal of reuniting families and repairing lives, drug courts essentially create a team focused on rebuilding lives so individuals can re-enter the community rather than continue a cycle of repeated arrests and jail time, the judge said.
If approved, the drug court should be in session four hours a week and initially handle no more than 25 defendants at a time, Benjamin said.
Newly enrolled defendants should anticipated weekly appearances before a judge or probation officer, as well as frequent cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, the judge said.
A person who is ordered to go to counseling now in traditional courts is seen by a court official once every six to eight weeks, Benjamin said.
“The probation officer has constant contact with counselors, family members and the defendant, so we can keep (recovering addicts) on track,” Benjamin told the commissioners.
Eventually, each defendant who does well will only have to make a court appearance or have therapy every other week, she said.
If the program is successful and funding for additional staff can be obtained, the drug court could be expanded to include up to 50 defendants, Benjamin said.
