Document text
CLEAR Temp: 90 °F Wind: NW at 10 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 10, 2003 Court program survives rash of state budget cuts By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Jackson County’s Community Family Court remains among the highest priorities in the criminal justice system even as the state faces budget cuts. Few studies have been done on such alternative courts in Oregon, but success stories suggest the approach is working, officials said. "Everyone’s best collective thinking is we don’t think we’ll see these families come through the system ever again," said Circuit Court Administrator Jim Adams. Adams has said the county’s Circuit Court would cut other services before sacrificing Community Family Court. Community Family Court — a partnership between the criminal justice system and social service agencies — has served about 100 families since its inception in 2001. Those families — all with children living in the home — each had an average of seven cases pending in court and were assisted by about six different agencies. Eleven of those families graduated from the program within the past three months. Advertisement "We’re seeing families that are doing well in this program that had not done well in anything else," said John Hamilton, program coordinator. Community Family Court is based on a "drug court" model in which offenders undergo treatment, frequent testing and close monitoring, including regular court visits. The approach is designed to ensure short-term accountability for offenders while reducing the rates for re-offending over the long-term. Twenty of Oregon’s 36 counties operate drug courts, which the judicial department sought to institute statewide over the next six years until recent budget cuts stalled the plan, said Wallace P. Carson Jr., chief justice of Oregon’s Supreme Court. However, the judicial department will pick up where it left off if its budget improves, he said. At first glance, such alternative courts are more time-consuming and costly, as most participants appear in court regularly for a year or longer, officials said. But several studies show the process saves money in the long run. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 2 million probationers — two-thirds of all offenders on probation — are involved with drugs and alcohol. Only about 1 or 2 percent are in programs, according to a Web site maintained by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. But drug court participants use about 20 percent less in government resources compared to non-participants, said Leola McKenzie of the state court programs and services division. Nationwide, the re-offending rate for those who complete a drug court program is between 4 and 29 percent compared to 48 percent for those who do not participate, according to a study by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. The county is gathering statistics on its Community Family Court but counts its success with each drug-free baby born to parents in the program, each addict that completes treatment and each family that gains permanent housing and employment. "For what may seem like a hell of an effort on the front end ... we’re saving money across so many systems," said Rita Sullivan, director of OnTrack Inc., a local treatment provider. Federal grants fund the program and ensure participants have access to services that were otherwise lost to recent state budget cuts. Some local child welfare workers lost jobs while many of Oregon’s poorest families lost access to drug and alcohol treatment following changes to the Oregon Health Plan. Funneled through nonprofit agencies in the county, $1.1 million in federal money awarded to Community Family Court offset some of those cuts, officials said. "By working together, we can keep some things afloat that may not be afloat otherwise," Hamilton said. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times