News Item
Eighth Judicial District Drug Court celebrates first anniversary

Posted: Monday, June 29, 2015

The Eighth Judicial District Drug Court celebrates its first anniversary this week, as local judges and justice system professionals prepare to graduate the first offender from the program later this year.

Drug courts are specialized, problem-solving court programs that target non-violent criminal offenders who suffer from addiction to alcohol or other drugs. The programs involve close collaboration between judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement, educational and vocational experts, and community leaders. Through this collaboration, drug courts closely monitor the defendant's progress toward sobriety and recovery through ongoing treatment, frequent drug testing, and regular mandatory check-in court appearances. The programs use a range of immediate sanctions and incentives to foster behavior change.

Through numerous evaluations – both nationally and in Minnesota – drug courts have proven to be a cost-effective tool for reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for the thousands of non-violent offenders that enter the court system every year struggling with addiction. A 2014 evaluation of Minnesota’s drug courts found that program participants had significantly lower re-arrest rates and spent less time incarcerated than similar offenders who went through the traditional court process. The average cost savings for each drug court participant was $4,288 as a result of this reduced incarceration.

The Eighth Judicial District Drug Court opened on July 1, 2014. The program currently serves seven of the 13 western Minnesota counties that comprise Minnesota’s Eighth Judicial District, though program officials hope to add the remaining six counties within the next 12 months. Counties currently served by the program include Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Stevens, Swift, and Traverse.

The program currently has 15 active participants. Those who enter the program must complete four phases, which takes between 14 and 24 months, before they are eligible to apply for graduation from the program. Currently, four participants are in phase one, seven participants are in phase two, and four participants are in phase three.

Assuming that participants continue to advance through treatment and avoid any new arrests, program officials estimate that the program will see its first graduates in late 2015.

“While our drug court program is still relatively new, we have already seen the life-changing impact this approach is having on the high-risk, repeat drug offenders that come into the program,” said Karon White, Eighth Judicial District Drug Court Coordinator. “One participant in our program faced a serious criminal charge and the possibility of losing her children because of her addiction. Today, she’s been sober for almost a year, works full time, and is looking forward to her wedding later this year. Time and time again, we see drug courts break the cycle of drug abuse and arrest, and help those struggling with addiction reclaim their lives.”

About Minnesota’s Eighth Judicial District
The Eighth Judicial District consists of the counties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine. There were more than 22,000 cases filed in the Eighth Judicial District in 2014.