Local juvenile drug court showing positive results

North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven has declared May 2008 as Drug Court Month.

Williston began holding a Juvenile Drug Court program in January. Former Juvenile Supervisor Jack Colby is coordinating the program here.

Other juvenile drug courts conducted in Grand Forks, Fargo, Minot and Bismarck. Devils Lake is planning a juvenile drug court to begin operation in January of 2009.

Adult drug courts are located in Bismarck and Fargo. There also is one adult tribal drug court, and a juvenile tribal drug court in the planning stage.

At a recent Korner Lions Club meeting, Colby related that a staggering $14.3 million is spent in this region to cover underage drinking, and he said other drugs are a problem for juveniles as well.

He said parents must get involved to qualify for drug court.

Participants have weekly contact with the team members. Success in these courts is not only measured by graduation or completion of the program. Colby stressed if they agree to Drug Court, they must provide an education plan of some kind.

"We have one right now, working on her GED," Colby said.

Participants must be between the ages of 13 and 18.

The local Juvenile Drug Court meets every week and consists Northwest District Judge David W. Nelson, Assistant State's Attorney Marlyce Wilder as the prosecutor, Pete Furuseth is the defense council, Holly Webster as probation officer and Jerry Chapman is the treatment counselor. Assistant Williston High School Principal Jason Germundson and staff of Community Service also participate.

"The philosophy is we are going to try and reduce juvenile crime and substance abuse by referring youth to a court-managed treatment program that holds them accountable and emphasizes responsibility," Colby said.

Drug Court is not an easy walk out of long-term juvenile detention or prison either. Colby said participants who qualify are under a constant watch and must successfully complete four path requirements outlined for them.

"Each one has to have a chemical evaluation completed. They have to be talked to about what will be expected from the court. They and their parents have to make a commitment in drug court that they will be in there for a year," Colby said. "Part of the commitment is the child will meet at least once a week with a probation officer. They will go to at least two treatment sessions a week with (counselor) Jerry Chapman. They will be checked on by drug trackers who will do random (urinalysis) samples. The trackers test for cocaine, marijuana, meth.

"There is another test we can use is if we suspect they are drinking. It can detect it two to three days after they've been suspected of having something to drink," said Colby, who added it is not easy to find trackers as the tests must be observed each time a sample is taken.

Recovery and taking a new path is a team effort, according to Colby, not just up to the child alone

"Parents are expected to attend family therapy and programs," he continued.

The child must go before the drug court judge every week and describe how the week went. While the child may say it went well, Colby said everyone in contact with that child will be asked to relate their experiences as well.

"This isn't your average treatment program where you go in for 26 days and get out. This is one you commit to for the year," Colby said. "If everything is going well, we move them from one path to the next. It's labor-intense. We've had several kids we've offered it to. They find out what the rules are and they don't want to get involved."

He said juvenile drug courts in North Dakota are having a 40 percent success rate.

"If you consider that maybe 100 kids using drugs and alcohol, and you can intervene with 40 of them, that's better than the national average," he stated.

"Drug court started because basically, all we were doing was locking everybody up. We don't take a lot of people who are selling drugs. We won't take serious offenses. With young people, most haven't been involved in any serious problems. I think we can be successful," Colby said. "They must first admit the charge in regular juvenile court and want to participate in Juvenile Drug Court before being accepted. The judge will transfer it over. It is still a closed hearing. We close that case and then we move into the juvenile portion. If they stay out of trouble for a year, they can come back to the court and petition to have the original charge dismissed - if they follow the rules. We found one of the worst things we can do is take away their cell phone and house arrest for a week or two."

There are four paths for juveniles to follow when in juvenile drug court. It maps out requirements of treatment, land phone call checks, drug assessments, urinalysis tests .

He said those committing serious felonies cannot get in and those accused of serious assaults cannot be admitted into the program.

Participants of adult and juvenile court also are also are considered successful if they complete high school and find a job. Coordinators are seeing participants turn their lives around, attend college, join the Job Corps, get a job and enter the military. Adult Court participants also are lauded for being able to attend to children and give birth to drug-free babies.

This year's Drug Court Month marks 19 years of drug courts in the United States and eight years for drug courts in North Dakota.