Drug court has been a success in first year

On behalf of the Monmouth County Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, we congratulate and commend Judge Paul E. Chaiet and his team of professionals on the first anniversary of the Monmouth County Drug Court.

There have been some remarkable, positive life changes for Drug Court participants. Some have earned their high school diplomas, some have returned to their jobs, some are now going to college and all are drug-free. We salute these Drug Court participants and encourage them to continue their positive achievements and their successful recovery from alcohol/drug abuse.

County residents who have been charged with nonviolent offenses and who have been assessed as appropriate for alcohol/drug abuse treatment are eligible for Drug Court. Eighty-seven persons participated during its first year. They range in age from 18 to over 50 years old, they are 74 percent male and 26 percent female, come form various socioeconomic backgrounds, and include Caucasians, Latino-Hispanics and African-Amer-icans.

These 87 offenders must comply with strict clinical protocols and with judicial rules in order to continue in the program; if not, an offender will most likely be incarcerated. They all report to the judge once each week concerning their progress in treatment.

Drug courts result in less crime in communities, less addiction in our society and more drug-free productive citizens living among us. Monmouth County’s Drug Court has achieved all of these. We applaud the Drug Court team and its participants.

Barry W. Johnson

Director, Monmouth County

Board of Alcohol and

Drug Abuse Services

Freehold Township