Wednesday, February 15, 2012
 
sponsored by

County committee reviews unusual probation expenses

Drug court program celebrates success with 1st graduate

Send a link to a friend

[February 15, 2012]  On Tuesday evening, the Logan County finance committee met.

HardwareIt was basically a slow month, and finance chairman Chuck Ruben invited chief probation officer Kim Turner to elaborate on some of the probation office's expenses. A couple of unusual expenses have been showing up, such as this month a graduation gift and teeth removal.

Also present for the committee were board chairman Bob Farmer and committeemen Dave Hepler and Jan Schumacher. Absent were Terry Carlton and Rick Aylesworth.

Ruben thought committee members who were not present for the formation of Logan County's drug court, which is what the expenses were for, would get a fuller understanding by hearing directly from Turner.

A drug court is a collaboration between law enforcement, judicial and probation departments. The state of Illinois, recognizing that repetitive crimes are often related to substance addiction, and prison only makes matters worse, mandated that counties set up a drug court.

Library

In May 2010 Logan County started collecting its drug court fees to be used to support the addiction recovery program. The program then started in December 2010.

"The purpose of the program is to help people get off drugs," Turner said.

She then explained some of how the program works, including potential expenditures.

"The team chooses the candidates. We try to pick people who we think will make it through," she said.

Eight individuals were allowed into the program in the past year. A person must stay sober a full year and then they may graduate, she said.

Logan County's first graduate was at the end of January. This was celebrated, and there was an expense for a graduation cake.

Seven people remain in the intensive, rehab-geared program.

Turner said they work as a team to decide if a person can stay in the program if the individual slips and is caught. They also decide together if there are expenses that might interfere with the recovery of an individual.

One of the gals who had a pain pill addiction had some bad teeth that needed to be removed. She could not afford to do that. The team decided the program would foot the bill.

If needed, they might provide a gas card to help go to treatments, appointments, work or other expenses that support recovery but that the individual might not be able to afford.

[to top of second column]

The rules include not associating with certain people or living near those who might draw the recovering addict back to substance use.

"We might get help with housing expenses because otherwise they might end up homeless because they can't afford a place," Turner said.

She emphasized that it is a team effort, and they choose people who have the best chance of success.

"We help them get over a hump," she said.

Turner pointed out that people in the program have paid for it themselves. Court fees are assessed when a person is found guilty.

"Every person who has a misdemeanor or a felony pays for this program," she said.

Hepler commented that he thought it looked like this was going very well and held promises of good results. Speculating on current information, he suggested maybe even 50 percent recovery for the participants.

Hesitating, but sounding hopeful, Turner responded: "It could. It's a lot different program than what we normally deal with."

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

Past related articles

Drug court information from the Illinois attorney general: http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/
methnet/fightmeth/courts.html

< Top Stories index

Back to top


 

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching and Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law and Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health and Fitness | Teen Scene
Calendar | Letters to the Editor