FRANKFORT, Ky., Dec. 6, 2007 – Supreme Court Justice Mary C. Noble will be the guest speaker at a graduation ceremony Friday, Dec. 7, for 10 adult Drug Court participants from Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties. The ceremony is open to the public and will take place at 6 p.m. at the Bourbon County Judicial Center at 310 Main St. in Paris.
Justice Noble, who was elected to the Supreme Court of Kentucky in November 2006, serves the 5th Supreme Court District, which is comprised of Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties.
Circuit Judge Paul F. Isaacs, who conducts Drug Court proceedings in Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties, will preside over the graduation ceremony. Other invitees include representatives of law enforcement, probation and parole, and treatment facilities, as well as elected officials and attorneys from the three counties.
The Bourbon-Scott-Woodford Drug Court began in March 2001 with a pilot program that served 12 participants. The program expanded after being fully funded in August 2002.
Kentucky Drug Court
Drug Court is proving to be a positive solution to a serious social problem. The success of Drug Court can be measured in the number of lives changed and the cost savings to Kentucky taxpayers. The program has had a significant impact on reducing rearrest, reconviction and reincarceration rates. The program has resulted in increased payment of delinquent child support and improved employment rates. For every $1 spent on Drug Court graduates, the state saves $2.72 on what it would have spent on incarcerating these individuals.
The mission is to provide a court-supervised treatment alternative that stops illicit drug use and related criminal activity and promotes a positive life change through substance abuse education and treatment.
How Drug Court Works
Drug Court coordinates the efforts of the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social services and treatment communities to actively intervene and break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction and crime.
The program consists of three phases and aftercare and lasts an average of one to two years. Drug Court staff and participants work together to develop individual program plans with specific responsibilities and goals with timetables. Plans include group, family and individual counseling; frequent and random urine testing; education and vocational training; scheduled payments of restitution, child support and court fees; and health and community activities. Participants report directly to their Drug Court judge, who rewards progress and sanctions noncompliance.
When participants successfully complete the program, charges may be dismissed through diversion, or conditional discharge may be granted through probation. Judges who participate in Drug Court volunteer their time to the program.
Kentucky Drug Court is administered through the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort. The AOC is the operational arm of the Kentucky Court of Justice and supports the activities of more than 4,000 court system employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks.