 It 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.
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.
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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
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