Paulding’s Board of Commissioners green-lighted an opportunity to establish a felony drug court program last week during their June session at the Watson Government complex in Dallas. A state grant will provide for the start-up of the program by January of next year, if not before, said Paulding Court Administrator Frank Baker at the Board’s morning session. Since addressing Paulding commissioners last month regarding the submission of an application for state funds, Baker reported on June 23 that the state approved the county’s application for a grant in the amount of $121,350 to help start a felony drug court.
Paulding commissioners voted to accept the grant, adding Paulding to the growing list of court systems throughout the state now pursuing similar programs as an alternative to incarceration for some offenders who successfully meet the requirements of the program. This is the first program of its type to be launched in the county.
Not a new notion, but a growing trend in the criminal justice system, these programs involve more intensive sentencing alternatives for offenders that allow for intensive treatment and responsibility for the offenders to take on, Baker told the Board previously. With funding now secured court officials will focus on choosing a coordinator and building a local team with the goal to launch Paulding’s court by the end of this year, Baker said. “That means somebody from the Sheriff’s office, someone from treatment, someone from probation, someone from the D.A.’s office, and someone from the public defender’s office,” he said. Similar programs have proven very successful and Baker told the Board that they are “the wave of the future.” Governor Deal has said he’d like to see these types of courts established statewide. And, according to Paulding Superior Court Judge Dean Bucci, Paulding had been among the few in the state still without such a court. Paulding’s program may resemble one in Whitfield County, which has a very successful program that could serve as a model for Paulding County. That program began in 2002 under the supervision of the Conasauga Circuit Superior Court and is intended to reduce repeat drug-related offenses by creating the opportunity for recovery from chemical addiction.
According to Bucci studies show that for people who are just locked up and then turned lose the recidivism rate is around 50 percent, but for those who successfully complete drug court; it’s down to below 10 percent. “Long term it saves money, but it also saves lives, which you can never measure,” Bucci said. Judge Bucci told the Board last month that other types of funding could be available in addition to the start-up grant and their intent is to establish the program through at least its first year without help from the county.
“Cost [of the program] is an understandable concern. I don’t expect to have to ask the county for anything, at least for the first year, hopefully beyond that,” he said.
According to Baker additional funding may well be available through The Drug Abuse Education and Treatment (DATE) fund, which is generated by a 50 percent surcharge that certain offenders have to pay as a part of their fine. This surcharge is added to the base fine and collected by the superior, state, magistrate, probate and municipal court clerks and a clerk of any other lower court. It must be paid to the county governing authority of the county where the crime was committed. For example, if a criminal fine is $500, the DATE surcharge will be $250.
Baker said that the DATE fund will be something the team will look at to provide funding beyond the grant from the state.
The DATE fund can only be used for drug abuse treatment and education programs or a Drug/DUI court. The eligible programs funded with the DATE fund are at the discretion of the county governing authority, but many counties have by resolution created a DATE fund board or committee to make the decisions regarding funding requests and expenditure of funds.