Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue proclaims May 2006 DRUG AND DUI COURT MONTH

WHEREAS: Drug and DUI courts combine judicial accountability and evidencebased treatment to effectively intervene against substance abuse and related crime; and WHEREAS: Results of more than 100 program evaluations and at least three experimental studies have yielded definitive evidence that drug and DUI Courts increase treatment retention and reduce substance abuse and crime among drug-involved adult offenders; and WHEREAS: The Judicial Council of Georgia has appointed a Standing Committee on Drug Courts to encourage and support the implementation of drug courts in all 49 judicial circuits.

WHEREAS: There are many Georgians dedicated to the success of Drug courts who have had a profound impact within their communities; and WHEREAS: Georgia Drug and DUI courts have grown from one original court in 1994 to over 40 courts, with several more in the planning stages.

The national drug court movement has grown from 12 drug courts in 1994 to 1,753 operational drug courts as of December 2005; now  THEREFORE: I, SONNY PERDUE, Governor of the State of Georgia, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2006 as Drug and DUI Court Month in Georgia, and recognize the significant contributions that drug and DUI courts have made and continue to make in reducing drug usage and crime in Georgia.

In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Executive Department to be affixed this sixth day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand six.

Is DUI Court a good or bad thing? On first blush it sounds good, but a closer look raises questions. Can a government entity whose primary purpose is enlarge and expand its budget capable of proscribing drug treatment reasonably? DUI Court participants often have to attend DUI court 12 times a month during business hours. DUI Court participants are very often prescribed courses of treatment much longer, more expensive and more intense than similarly situated chemically dependent persons in the private sector. Finally, those whose chose to fight even questionable DUI cases get slammed with jail time and fines. Private counselors and AA meetings often have schedules that accomodate those who work for a living. Drug Court counselors seem to only work 8 to 5 with most sessions starting at 3 pm. I have had clients who have expressed that they would rather go to jail after experiencing the disruption of DUI court. Apparently, statistics show reduction in repeat offenders and DUI related accidents. However, it is hard to tell whether this is a result of increased enforcement or increased penalties or even happening at all as these statistics are not generally available for review. DUI Court is properly the wave of the futures because it reduces needed jail space and increases fines and revenues for the Court. For the most troubled offenders, it is probably a good idea for first and second offenders?

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