Kentucky Court of Justice
Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott to be guest speaker at Bath/Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan Drug Court graduation Dec. 8

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Justice Will T. Scott of the Supreme Court of Kentucky will be the guest speaker at a graduation ceremony Thursday, Dec. 8, to recognize 12 individuals from Bath, Montgomery and Rowan counties who have successfully completed the Drug Court program. The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. EST in the Circuit Court Courtroom of the Montgomery County Courthouse in Mount Sterling. The courthouse is located at 1 Court St. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

Seven of the graduating participants are from the Montgomery County Drug Court program, four are from the Rowan County Drug Court program and one is from the Bath/Menifee County Drug Court program.

Circuit Court Judges William E. Lane and Beth Lewis Maze and District Court Judge Don Blair, who volunteer their time to conduct Drug Court proceedings, will preside over the graduation ceremony. Judge Maze oversees the Montgomery County program, Judge Lane is the judge for the Bath/Menifee program and Judge Blair presides over the Rowan County program. Judges Lane and Maze serve the judicial circuit and Judge Blair serves the judicial district that is comprised of Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties.

In addition to the public, invitees to the graduation ceremony include law enforcement representatives, elected officials, attorneys and representatives of drug treatment facilities.

Kentucky Drug Court
Drug Court is proving to be a positive solution to a serious social problem. The success of Drug Court can be measured in the number of lives changed and the cost savings to Kentucky taxpayers. The program has had a significant impact on reducing rearrest, reconviction and reincarceration rates. The program has resulted in increased payment of delinquent child support and improved employment rates. For every $1 spent on Drug Court graduates, the state saves $2.72 on what it would have spent on incarcerating these individuals.

As of July 1, 2011, 4,589 individuals had graduated from Drug Court programs statewide and participants had paid $2.9 million in child support and $3.3 million in restitution and fines.

The Drug Court mission is to provide a court-supervised treatment alternative that stops illicit drug use and related criminal activity and promotes a positive life change through substance abuse education and treatment.

How Drug Court Works
Drug Court coordinates the efforts of the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social services and treatment communities to actively intervene and break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction and crime.

The program consists of three phases that last a total of at least one year and are followed by aftercare. Drug Court staff and participants work together to develop individual program plans with specific responsibilities and goals with timetables. Plans include group, family and individual counseling; frequent and random urine testing; education and vocational training; scheduled payments of restitution, child support and court fees; and health and community activities. Participants report directly to their Drug Court judge, who rewards progress and sanctions noncompliance.

When participants successfully complete the program, charges may be dismissed through diversion, or conditional discharge may be granted through probation. Judges who participate in Drug Court volunteer their time to the program. Most of the program’s funding comes from state funds approved through the Kentucky General Assembly.

Learn more about Kentucky Drug Court.

Administrative Office of the Courts
Kentucky Drug Court is administered through the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort and oversees 55 adult Drug Court programs that serve 115 counties. Drug Court is a division of the AOC Department of Statewide Services.

The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of nearly 3,300 court system employees and 403 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.