Community

Healthy families through drug intervention

May 1, 2010

Sometimes mottos like “just say no to drugs” are not effective in deterring kids from experimenting with drugs.

An early brush with law enforcement can be enough to straighten out bad behavior. Other times, the young person finds refuge in drug use and becomes a repeat offender. That is when a judge may recommend the repeat offender enter the Drug Court, a special court program with the objective of intense intervention to get these young people living a clean, drug-free lifestyle.

Every Wednesday in Casa Grande, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Stephen McCarville presides over a courtroom of youth and parents and reviews each case individually with the Drug Court team. The Drug Court team consists of the judge, a prosecuting attorney, the youth’s defense attorney and sometimes a counselor, probation staff or someone from the school.

Drug Court is a yearlong program with multiple phases, beginning weekly with regular random drug testing. If the youth comply, the judge may grant leniency for less frequent visits.

“It’s a program based on consequences and incentives. The high achievers really get a big boost out of the incentives,” said Donna McBride, Pinal County’s Program Administrator for Juvenile Court Services. “An example of an incentive might be earning the judge’s approval to obtain a driver’s license.”

There are usually 12 to 15 young people in the Drug Court program at any given time. Vital to the success of the program is the involvement of the parents, McBride said.

“Parents needed support, too. When a kid is going through probation, so is his or her family,” McBride explained. “They can’t just take off on vacation if their son or daughter is not allowed to leave the state.”

A few months ago, Pinal County’s Juvenile Court and Drug Court surveyed parents to learn what kind of supportive programs might help their child succeed. One of the first outcomes of that survey was the development of a presentation about what to look for if your adolescent is using drugs and where to find the evidence.

“Parents literally went on a scavenger hunt to find drugs or drug paraphernalia,” McBride said. “It was real eye-opener for some of the parents.”

This new series of support programs is called the Parent Empowerment Program. It will feature discussions with police officers to discuss parents’ rights, including what parents can and can’t do in the home.

They also plan to present a future session on what activities, clubs and community services are available for young people as a diversion from the drug lifestyle.

“The Drug Court and Parent Empowerment Programs are two programs aimed at early intervention to prevent young people from entering a life of crime and drug use,” said McCarville. “These programs are vital to the health of our neighborhoods and schools. The consequences to society of juvenile drug use are too great. We are giving these children and teens a chance to turn their lives around.”