A Decade of Healing
Taylorsville Justice Court celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Drug Court Program
Taylorsville, UT, January 20, 2009: Taylorsville Municipal Justice Court will celebrate 10 years of serving the community through its DUI/Drug Court Program on January 29, 2009. A graduation ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Holladay City Hall, 4580 South 2300 East. The cities of Holladay and Taylorsville have hosted joint graduation ceremonies for the past eight years to save costs. Past participants from the past 10 years have been invited to speak about their lives since graduation. Chief Justice Christine M. Durham will make opening remarks at the graduation and Governor Jon M. Huntsman has been invited to make the keynote address. Holladay Justice Court Judge Daniel B. Gibbons will host the ceremony.
The Taylorsville Drug Court Program began operations in October 1998 and held its first graduation ceremony in 1999. It was one of the first programs in the country to admit individuals charged with drug abuse as well as drunk driving. The program requires that potential participants submit to a legal screening performed by prosecutors and the public defender in addition to a clinical screening and assessment through the program’s treatment providers. Those who qualify are required to submit to random drug and alcohol testing, attend substance abuse treatment or education and attend a community based self-help meeting. Taylorsville Justice Court Judge Michael Kwan reviews the participants’ progress each week during court reviews, which combine a mix of stern warnings, warm encouragement and a sympathetic ear. Each weekly review, documents the struggles of the participants to stay clean and sober.
“We know now that substance abuse is a disease and that our best response is to treat it like we would any disease,” said Judge Kwan. “Most of the substances that are abused can cause physical changes in the way our bodies, and importantly, our brains, work. So, slogans like “Just Say No,” simply are not enough to eliminate this disease.” The DUI/Drug Court program was designed to provide the supervision, support and treatment needed to help participants regain control of their lives.
Drug courts collaborate with prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and treatment providers on each participant’s progress throughout the program. Over the last 10 years, nearly 1,000 participants have graduated from the Taylorsville program. Subsequent research has shown that Taylorsville Drug Court graduates are far less likely to commit new crimes than defendants who do not have the opportunity to enter Drug Court.
Research shows that the amount of time a person spends in treatment is a good predictor of the person’s future sobriety. Yet, national studies report that nearly 98 out of every 100 people in treatment will drop out of treatment within a year. A study performed by Utah’s Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice found that more than 95 percent of the participants in the Taylorsville Drug Court Program successfully complete their court ordered treatment. Judge Kwan believes the high success rate is attributable to early detection of the disease. “An analogy might be that if you wait to treat cancer until it spreads and affects other areas of your body, your chances of success are diminished,” Judge Kwan said.
One of the unique aspects of the Taylorsville Drug Court is that participants are required to pay for their treatment, supervision and drug and alcohol testing. Unlike other Drug Court programs, Taylorsville has never requested or received any grant or taxpayer funds to pay for these services. Judge Kwan reports this is possible because, unlike felony offenders, the addiction or disease has not progressed too far. Most of the participants in Judge Kwan’s Drug Court program are still able to maintain their employment because their substance abuse has not yet reached that part of their lives.