The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, at its regular meeting on June 8, approved allowing the local circuit to apply for a Justice Assistance Grant to help fund the drug court program that serves Whitfield and Murray counties.
The $15,043 grant, which is expected to be approved later this summer by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, will be used for testing drug court participants during 2015.
The local program began in 2002 and has served 387 participants with 210 graduates, averaging around 88 participants at any given time.
Drug court consists of five phases, each phase having different requirements to graduate to the next phase.
With a retention rate of 72 percent, the rate of criminal activity in the community has decreased significantly for program participants, local officials said.
At an average cost of $52.50 per day to house county inmates, the estimated savings to date for the participating counties in jail costs alone is more than a million dollars.
Statistics show the earlier the intervention, the less cost is imposed on the community, so expedited case processing to address the participants' treatment needs also creates savings to the community by reducing the recidivism rate and preventing future criminal activity.
The rate of employment for drug court graduates versus public assistance is an additional cost benefit. Currently, 100 percent of the employable drug court participants are employed, compared to a 40 percent employment rate upon entry into the program. An added advantage is insurance benefits offered through employment and the decreased expense for medical and related costs associated with substance abuse.
Through substance abuse treatment, education, and employment, parents are regaining custody of children and becoming responsible parents. The drug court program helps promote healthy, law-abiding citizens and strengthens the family unit.
Drug testing is a key component of the program, with observed, random screens one of the key tools used by the drug court to monitor the progress of participants. New studies have shown that higher risk participants should be tested a minimum of two times per week throughout the program.
The grant funds will be used to help pay for these drug tests, which average 600 tests per month.