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Announcements
Monday, October 17, 2016
The Richmond Adult Drug Court will hold a graduation ceremony on Friday, October 21, 2016, 1:00 p.m. at the Richmond Police Academy, 1202 Graham Road in Richmond, Virginia. The graduation ceremony will mark the completion of an intensive 18-month outpatient program of drug treatment, probation supervision, judicial monitoring and community service for eleven Adult Drug Court participants. Mr. Devon Simmons, from the State of Virginia’s Attorney General’s Office will be the guest speaker.
One of over 2,000 drug courts operating in the U.S. since 1989, the Richmond Adult Drug Court monitors non-violent drug-addicted offenders with pending cases in Richmond’s Circuit Court. Offenders volunteer for the program, and participate only after approval of the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney. Participants must meet all program requirements; which include maintaining gainful employment and abstinence from drugs, alcohol and crime, to successfully complete the program. Participants are also required to attend regular Drug Court hearings in Circuit Court, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or similar external recovery meetings, and group and individual counseling sessions with a licensed substance abuse clinician. In addition, community service must be performed. Compliance with these requirements is rewarded with incentives. Non-compliance is addressed with sanctions that include incarceration in jail. This integration of court, probation, and treatment services leads to higher retention rates in treatment, and lower crime and drug use rates following program completion.
Many Richmond Adult Drug Court participants enter the program with long-term drug addictions to cocaine or heroin, and lengthy non-violent criminal histories. Also, over 65% of the participants are probation violators; however some participants receive a reduced or dismissed charge upon graduation. Reducing or dismissing charged offenses is a standard practice in most drug courts.
The program remains effective in decreasing drug use and crime, and is more cost-effective than incarceration due to lower recidivism rates. Nationwide, 25% of Drug Court graduates are arrested within two years after leaving the program while 46% of probationers commit a new offense, and over 60% commit a probation violation. Upon release from prison, between 60% and 80% of drug abusers commit a new crime and 85% to 95% relapse quickly to drug abuse. Eighteen rigorous cost-benefit studies found the average cost savings of drug court programs range from $4,000 to $12,000 per participant.
The ceremony honoring the October 2016 graduates, and the reception following, are open to the public. For more information, contact Tanisha Moseley at 804-646-3655.
Posted by Office of the Press Secretary to the Mayor at 3:08 PM
http://richmondvacitynews.blogspot.com/2016/10/richmond-adult-drug-court-graduation.html