Random drug testing is an integral part for those participating in two of Bartholomew County’s problem-solving courts.
If state grant funds can be obtained, a private agency will be hired to collect drug testing samples from participants in both the Adult Drug Recovery Court and the Veteran’s Court, Bartholomew County Court Services director Brad Barnes said.
Although the county is already doing limited testing, Barnes says he anticipates the number of drug court court participants will rise from 10 to about 30 in just a year. At the same time, the number of defendants in Veteran’s Court will likely go up from about 10 to 20, Barnes told the Bartholomew County commissioners.
“Quite frankly, as we continue to grow, the ability of the folks within our system (to monitor drug abstinence) goes down,” Barnes said. “We just don’t have the time nor the manpower to do it.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
