Drug court offers last chance to avoid jail
When Bambi Auten’s wisdom teeth began giving her trouble two years ago, she couldn’t get into the free dental clinic quick enough.
She tolerated the pain for two months, Ms. Auten, 24, said. Then she succumbed and took some of her grandfather’s Lortab — a prescription narcotic.
In court, she pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge. But instead of prison, she was enrolled in the Buchanan County Drug Court.
The rehabilitation program was started in Buchanan County as a way for some people accused of nonviolent drug offenses to avoid prison. On Monday, Ms. Auten graduated with three other former drug users. She now is helping her teenage sister deal with her drug problem.
Prison isn’t always the best environment to rehabilitate some drug offenders, said Judge Daniel Kellogg, one of two circuit judges who oversee the now 12-year old program in Buchanan County. Treatment programs like Drug Court are an alternative.
Defendants in drug court have the charges hang over them throughout their treatment. The judge can immediately put the defendant in jail if he violates the terms of drug court.
Among those terms: gainful employment, restitution, intensive counseling, drug testing and frequent supervision by the judge.
Fresh-faced Kaleb Frankovich, a gregarious 24-year-old, failed his urine test twice early last year on a burglary charge.
Drug court was his last-ditch effort to stay clean and out of prison.
“The guys would have loved me in there, and I don’t want to love them,” said Mr. Frankovich, who graduated after 17 months in program.
Others such as Lacey Amos, 25, stood in medical scrubs and daughter in hand — a testament to her new life as professional, single mother.
She and her mother were arrested three years ago for selling and using cocaine, she said. Her mother graduated from Drug Court earlier this year.
“For me, this is a big deal. Life is so much better when you’re not taking drugs and you’re helping people,” Ms. Amos said.
Ahmad Safi can be reached at ahmadsafi@npgco.com.
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It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working.
Never in the history of the world has such a debacle been tolerated. Our prison systems aren't working. Treatment works only for those who want it or are ready for it.
What does that say about us as a country when we have no effective means of rehabilitation? Half of our population has been written off as they are in a prison system that simply doesn't work. We take non-violent offenders and couple them with violent-repeat offenders. Why are we scratching our heads as to why there is no apparent threat to an offender.
Have you seen what they get in prison. You know it's bad when everyone at county lockup would rather be in Cameron. These aren't just hardcore criminals I'm talking about, either. Regular drug offenders would rather be in prison than county lockup.
MAYBE WE SHOULD MAKE OUR PRISONS A COUNTY EXTENSION. Something for crying out loud! Offenders arne't scared to go in, and they come out worse than before with an 80% probability of re-offending.
We have GOT to do something. It's amusing people will whine and moan about gas prices, yet Starbucks' business hasn't slowed (approx. $70/gal.). I'm more concerned with our tax dollars being used for nonsense than gas prices.
We need to suck it up and admit our system doesn't work. We need reform, we need solutions. We need a revolution.
Posted by thisones4u on August 14, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)MichaelH....it is working for those who want it to work! Do you know anyone who has been through Drug Court, or do you just assume it doesn't work? I lost my best friend to meth for 5 years, she wanted to quit, she just didn't know how. When she finally got caught she went to drug court and just graduated in July. She had never been to jail before that, She went through the ENTIRE program with NOT ONE SINGLE violation. She hasn't done drugs, drank, or even broke curfew. She is still doing awesome and I am very proud of her. Drug court was the best thing that ever happened to her, she has a wonderful successful life now. IT DOES WORK! I sat through the graduation and she wasn't the only person who breezed right through it, alot of people do.
Posted by younggrandma on August 14, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)thisones4u..... You and your friend are very lucky thank God she was strong enough to beat this terrible drug. I agree this can work for the ones that want it to and are strong enough to let go of drugs forever. I also agree with MichaelH the current system is not working for the majority of people. I wish I knew what the answer is but I don’t. My beautiful nephew died 5 years ago from meth and I almost lost my precious daughter 2 years ago from the same drug. Both were brought up in loving 2 parent homes and knew the dangers of drugs. I see in the paper everyday people are charged and put on probation it seems like a vicious circle that most of the times goes nowhere. I do feel that the people that manufacture these drugs should be put to death. I know there are people out there that will write comments that I am completely out of line but unfortunately my husband and I have had to plan our nephews funeral because his parents were in shock. When we found out our daughter had been using the same drug I had to plan her funeral on paper because I feared I could not do it if I was faced with needing it. I never want to have to think about it again. She is doing well now but she is not the same. These people that manufacture these drugs kill people all the time and do not deserve to live in my opinion.
Posted by torg on August 14, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)@MichaelH: Of course the Drug War isn't working. It hasn't worked for decades, and it isn't working now. You, however, seem to have missed the point. The Buchanan County Drug Court is a means for nonviolent drug offenders to stay OUT of prison and be rehabilitated, it's not another way of saying "sent to prison."
Posted by younggrandma on August 14, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)I do want everyone to know that I think the Drug Strike Force is doing a great job. The police are doing an equally great job. It's the courts that need to get a grip on this problem of the manufacturing of these drugs. Probation is like telling a child "I'm only going to tell you one more time".
Posted by MichaelH on August 14, 2008 at 11:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)4th line, second sentence, "treatment only works for those who want it."
I fail to see anything I've missed. In fact, most of you padded my point...
The system not only doesn't work, but by virtue of design creates a scenario in which it's harder to get out of trouble than it is to get in to trouble. Since when did that become ruling fact? Where in our judicial endevours did we come to the conclusion that 10 minutes of crime equals 2 years of strict probation... ? I don't claim to know the, "correct" way, but if I had to guess this method would be near the bottom - just makes no sense from any standpoint other than increased revenue for mandatory participation in state and privately-funded (a violation of civil rights with respect to 12-step and similar programs as they are not required to disclose treatment information... as in, number of successful participants v. unsuccessful participants - without those numbers there cannot be an audit which means there cannot be a governing body which means they don't have to prove that it works or doesn't work) counseling programs.
Don't even get me started on the probation and parole practices. I've seen people released from Cameron, pay a small bond for current local charges at the county jail, leave and either re-offend or test positive for drugs and NOTHING happens. Meanwhile you have someone as Thisones4U mentioned; does what they're supposed to, pays their fines, reports to PO, repeatedly tests clean and then gets hassled 2 weeks before probation is finished about coming home from work at 4 in the morning... THE SAME JOB THEY HAVE WORKED SINCE STARTING PROBATION!
And the cycle continues.
My apologies for the rant, I just wanted some of you to know my comments on the legal system are hardly supposition.
Posted by momoffour on August 15, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)I don't agree with the headline on this article "Drug court offers last chance to avoid jail", it's more like Drug court offers chance after chance to avoid jail. I know of one offender that has been given chance after chance, even after numerous violations, and has done time in the county and state prisons. Once again she is in drug court. It won't surprise me when she ends up in prison again.
thisones4you is right, it only works for those who want it to work.
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