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Drug Court Application
can be downloaded in Adobe or Word Format
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The initial screening criteria includes the following:
v Must meet statutory requirements for suspended sentence
v Must be a non-violent offender
v Must have a history of chemical dependency
v Must be a resident of Rutherford or Cannon County
v If this is a DUI offense, it must be 3rd offense or less
v Offender must voluntarily agree to participate
v Must not be charged with or have a prior conviction for drug trafficking
v Must be potential agreement among sentencing judge, District Attorney’s office and Counsel for the accused that Drug Court would be an appropriate option.
v Cannot have a hold or pending criminal charge from another jurisdiction
v Cannot be acutely mentally ill or suicidal
Initially, the offender referred to the program reads the Participant Handbook and then fills out an application. An NCIC is requested from the District Attorney’s office. Once the background check is completed, the District Attorney’s office either approves or denies the offender’s admittance into our program. If they are approved, Drug Court staff conducts a personal interview. An Addiction Severity Index and SOCRATES are completed at this time. This information is presented to the Drug Court Review Team and majority vote by the team determines if the offender is appropriate for the program. If the team finds the offender to be appropriate, the information is relayed to the District Attorney’s office, the Defense Attorney and the offender. If the judge is in agreement, the offender is court-ordered into the Drug Court Program.
There are three core phases of the Drug Court Program that all participants shall follow and be required to complete. Phase One lasts approximately three months and includes:
v Meet with Drug Court Case Manager weekly
v Random urine screen minimum of once a week
v Self-help support meetings 3 times a week
v Nine hours of intensive group therapy
v Appear before the Judge weekly
v Submit weekly journal entry
To successfully complete Phase One, participants must have four consecutive weeks with clean drug/alcohol screens. Participants must have attended 90% of all individual and group sessions, and 90% of the self-help support meetings. Movement to the next phase must be approved by the Drug Court Review Team.
Phase Two lasts approximately four months and includes:
v Meet with Drug Court Case Manager every other week
v Random urine screen minimum of once a week
v After completion of intensive group therapy, weekly Relapse Prevention Group
v MRT session weekly
v Self-help support meetings 3 times a week
v Obtain a self-help sponsor
v Appear before the Judge every other week
v Submit weekly journal entry
v Mandatory payment of program fee, court costs and court fines
To successfully complete Phase Two, participants must have six consecutive weeks with clean drug/alcohol screens. Participants must have attended 90% of all individual and group sessions, and 90% of the self-help support meetings. Movement to the next phase must be approved by the Drug Court Review Team.
Phase Three lasts approximately five months and includes:
v Meet with Drug Court Case Manager once a month, or as needed
v Random urine screen minimum of once a week
v After completion of Relapse Prevention Group, weekly Continuing Care Group
v MRT session weekly, until completion
v Self-help support meetings 3 times a week
v Appear before the Judge every four weeks
v Submit weekly journal entry
v Mandatory payment of program fee, court costs and court fines
To successfully complete Phase Three, the following must be completed:
v Last three months of drug/alcohol screens must be clean
v Attendance at 90% of group sessions and self-help support meetings
v Successful
enrollment in an educational program, a job training program, or employed at
least
part-time
v Adequate housing and appropriate support system
v Payment of all fees, fines, court costs, and program costs, with no further obligations to the Court
The intensive group therapy focuses on alcohol and drug education and identifying issues that could interfere with a recovery program. The Relapse Prevention Group identifies triggers and helps participants develop coping skills to deal with triggers and develop a safety plan to prevent relapse. The MRT Group is our criminal-thinking group. MRT stands for Moral Reconation Therapy. This group is designed to elevate the addict’s moral thinking. Participants start making goals and looking outward, instead of concentrating on their own needs for pleasure. The Continuing Care Group looks at the participants’ environment and starts working on healing relationships, developing parenting skills, and having healthy relationships. The Self-Help Support groups that we require three times a week can be AA or NA meetings, bible studies, Drug Court support groups, or any approved group that meets regularly that provides support to the participant.