Kentucky Court of Justice
Drug Court program now serving Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Individuals facing drug-related charges in Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties now have access to a court program designed specifically to address drug addiction. A new Drug Court program is serving adults in the three-county area, which comprises Kentucky’s 46th Judicial Circuit.

The program, which is state-funded, accepted its first participant in August and now has three participants and is accepting referrals. Proceedings are held in Hardinsburg in Breckinridge County. Chief Circuit Judge Robert Miller and Circuit Judge Bruce Butler, who serve the 46th Judicial Circuit, are volunteering their time to conduct the biweekly Drug Court sessions.

“Our goal is to protect public safety while reducing the recidivism rate of drug-addicted offenders,” Judge Miller said.

In addition to public safety, Drug Court helps protect taxpayer dollars and return participants to their communities as more productive citizens, he said.

“Independent studies of Kentucky Drug Court have shown that for every dollar the state spends on Drug Court, it saves $5.58 through increased child support payments by Drug Court participants, a decrease in domestic violence incidents and traffic accidents and a reduction in the use of mental health services and public assistance,” Judge Miller said. “Participants who meet a Drug Court program’s strict requirements in drug testing, counseling, regular employment and treatment objectives over an extensive period will graduate from the program, pay more of their taxes and use less public assistance due to having higher incomes. For those who don’t successfully complete the program, there is always the alternative of incarceration.

“My goal in volunteering to supervise the Drug Court program is to return participants to their families and communities with addiction-free lifestyles.”

Judge Butler said Drug Court successfully combines an intensive drug-treatment component with the authority of the judicial system.

“Drug Court uses a team approach to address defendants who have not committed violent crimes or sexual offenses, but who have resorted to criminal activity to support drug addictions,” he said. “Drug Court is life-changing for many participants and similar programs have been successful across the country. I am committed to trying to help people who are willing to put forth the effort to get away from drugs and alcohol.”

The Drug Court program for Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties is among 54 Drug Court programs in Kentucky.

Angie O’Donoghue is the recovery coordinator for the new program and Becky Heibert is the case specialist. To contact the Drug Court program office, call 270-756-5244. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each weekday.

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 at least 18 months for felony participants. 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, and much of the program’s funding comes from federal grants and state matching funds approved through the Kentucky General Assembly.

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.

For more information about Drug Court, visit http://courts.ky.gov/stateprograms/drugcourt/.