Drug Court to celebrate 10th anniversary Friday

Jefferson County Drug Court will celebrate its 10th anniversary at 10 a.m. Friday at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

The month of May is National Drug Court Month, with the first drug court launched in Miami, Fla., 25 years ago.

There are more than 2,840 drug courts in operation in all 50 states and U.S. Territories, successfully treating 142,000 drug addicted individuals, according to a press release.

Jefferson County Drug Court, which is administered by Circuit Judge Berlin C. Jones, is a judicially supervised court docket with the goals of reducing correctional costs, protecting community safety and improving public welfare. In drug court, seriously addicted individuals remain in treatment for long periods of time while under close supervision, and participants must meet their obligations to themselves, their family and society. To ensure accountability, they are regularly and randomly tested for drug use, required to appear frequently in court for Jones to review their progress, rewarded for doing well and sanctioned for not living up to their obligations.

This year Jefferson County has 25 participants who have completed the intensive drug court program and will graduate at 6 p.m. Friday. The graduation ceremony is invitation only.

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Waymond M. Brown, a former Pine Bluff district judge, will deliver the keynote address at the graduation.

“The Jefferson County Drug Court represents a proven budget solution for Jefferson County,” the release said. “Our Drug Court is truly making a difference, from reducing drug use and recidivism to reuniting families and making our community safer. By transforming the lives of our participants, we are saving our state valuable resources.”

A spokeswoman for Jefferson County Drug Court also said, “We are asking all to rise to join the cause and help save lives in Jefferson County by becoming a sponsor of the Jefferson County Outreach Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization.”