By January 2019, Washington County plans to launch the 21st adult drug court program in the state. A move the county hopes will help address problems stemming from the opioid crisis.
The county is also in the process of phasing out its juvenile drug court program. Participation in the program has declined as teens are more willing to choose and successfully complete less intensive traditional probation programs.
As reported by The Herald-Mail:
Bricker said an adult program will have a greater chance to succeed because there’s a significant opioid problem in the area and adults have a lot more to lose. They could lose their job, leading to another set of problems, if they don’t address their addiction.
Adults who participate in a drug-court program were less likely to test positive for drug use, reported less criminal activity, and had fewer rearrests than comparable offenders, according to a 2011 Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation available at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service’s website.
The article notes that three other counties, Allegany, Harford and Somerset, are also considering creating adult drug courts.
For more information read the full article in The Herald-Mail.
