DRUG TREATMENT COURT, MONROE CIRCUIT COURT PROBATION DEPARTMENT
Steve Malone, Drug Court Coordinator
Community Corrections Office
405 W. 7th Street, Suite 200
Bloomington, Indiana 47404
(812) 349-2000
Monroe County Drug Treatment Court History
November 1999, Judge Kenneth G. Todd began the Drug Court Pilot Project with the aid of a federal Drug Court Planning Grant. In 2001, the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department received a federal Drug Court Implementation Grant which allowed the department to expand the Drug Court Pilot Project. With the assistance of additional grants received since its inception, the Drug Treatment Court flourishes today. Judge Kenneth G. Todd was the presiding judge of the Drug Court from 1999 until May of 2007 when Judge MaryEllen Diekhoff assumed jurisdiction of the program.
Mission
The mission of the Monroe County Drug Treatment Court is to empower chemically dependant adults to live substance-free and improve their quality of life.
Monroe County Drug Treatment Court Purpose
There is a well-researched link between substance abuse and criminal behavior. The Drug Court supports public safety by providing drug treatment assistance while holding offenders accountable for their actions.
Drug Court contributes to public safety by effective and intensive supervision and referral to treatment for adult offenders who have been charged with committing felony alcohol/drug related offenses. Drug Court holds offenders accountable while providing them an opportunity for treatment. Those who successfully complete treatment, program requirements, and all court requirements have their criminal charge dismissed.
Monroe County Drug Court Program
The program is a minimum of two years and involves the following components:
- A plea of guilty to a felony offense with no agreement to sentencing should offender fail to successfully complete the Drug Court Program.
- Participants are required to obtain and maintain appropriate employment for the duration of the program.
- Participants will be required to complete high school/GED or vocational training if he/she has no apparent marketable job skills.
- Participants are required to submit to frequent random drug/alcohol tests.
- Participants must complete substance abuse treatment and any additional counseling that is deemed necessary by the treatment provider.
- Participants must payment all program fees, drug test costs, and treatment costs associated with completion of this program.
Drug Court Program Goals
The Monroe County Drug Court has established the following goals:
- To provide a fully integrated and comprehensive treatment program.
- To provide graduated levels of sanctions for defendants who are not in compliance with the program.
- To facilitate the acquisition or enhancement of academic, vocational, and pro-social skills.
- To reduce incarceration for Defendants with serious substance abuse issues.
- To reduce criminal justice costs, over the long run, by reducing drug addiction and street crime.
Drug Court Results
The Drug Treatment Court program has been proven to be effective. Two independent studies of the local drug court have shown that the drug court has had a positive effect by assisting persons to change substance abusing behaviors and saving taxpayers money.
The Monroe County Drug Treatment Court celebrated 10 years of successful operations in December 2009. At the 10-year Anniversary celebration, the Drug Court became one of only 10 of the over 2,300 Drug Courts in the nation to receive the Community Transformation award from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) for "tireless efforts to foster community transformation through reducing drug addiction and crime, restoring hope and reuniting families.”
In 2006, the Drug Court participated in a state-wide outcome evaluation and cost benefit analysis research project conducted by Northwest Professional Consortium (NPC) of Portland Oregon. Some highlights of this independent outcome study included:
- The local Drug Court reduces recidivism by 67% and saves taxpayers money.
- The program demonstrated a graduation rate of 56% compared to national average of 48%.
- The recidivism rate for Monroe County’s participants (including dropouts) was 17% while the rate for the comparison group was 33%.
- Drug Court participants (regardless of graduation status) were found to be half as likely to have had any arrests in the 2-year follow-up period relative to the comparison group.
- Drug Court graduates had an even lower recidivism rate of 11%.
- NPC found that program participants were arrested 3 times less often than the those who qualified but chose not to participate (opt outs/target population).
- NPC projects $7,040.00 in cost savings for avoided criminal justice and victimization costs per participant in the local drug court program.
Monroe County Drug Court Team
The Monroe County Drug Treatment Court is a collaborative effort of:
Monroe Circuit Court
Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Monroe County Public Defender's Office
Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department
Monroe County Community Corrections
Bloomington Police Department
Indiana University
Substance Abuse Treatment Partners
The Drug Court Team:
Hon. MaryEllen Diekhoff, Judge, Monroe Circuit Court
Steven E. Malone, Drug Court Supervisor
Cindy Houston, Manager Outpatient Services for the Public Sector at Centerstone
Joe Qualters, Captain, Bloomington Police Department
Liz Deckard, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Jason Meredith, Deputy Public Defender
Walt Keller, PhD, HSSP, Indiana University, Coordinator Alcohol Alternative Interventions Program
Rhonda Welp, Drug Court Case Manager
Ted Berry, Drug Court Case Manager
Brier Frasier, Drug Court Case Manager
Drug Court Links
For more information on Drug Courts, refer to the following links.