Judge says most meth-makers don’t learn lesson in jail
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“What’s going to happen when I sentence someone right now is they’re going to go to jail for a while where they’ll learn to make even better methamphetamine. Then they’ll get out, re-offend, get their probation violated, sent back for the balance of their sentence, and then get out and do it all over again,” Stanley said of the present sentencing guidelines. “Our probation officers will tell you that about 95 percent of those on probation for meth will re-offend.”
Given the dismal numbers, Judge Stanley said during a recent address at McMinnville Noon Exchange Club that one answer to the losing battle may be establishing a drug court. Stanley has applied for state funds and hopes, if the funds are granted, to begin the court as early as June.
“The numbers are strikingly different,” Stanley said. “Recidivism numbers in similar programs go down to about 30 percent, and half of those are for drugs, so it does make a difference.”
While effective, Stanley said the program is very hard to complete and will not be for everyone. Instead, drug court will be for people who truly want to change. Drug court would be a post-plea program, meaning the offender would have to confess to the crime and accept the punishment. It would then be decided if the person qualifies for drug court. Violent offenders would not qualify.
If a person was admitted the drug court, the defendant would be required to undergo intense drug treatment, mostly in-house. The offender would then be required to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings and submit to surprise inspections and drug tests. The person would also be required to appear in court on a regular basis, in some cases more than once a week. The person would also have to keep employment. Stanley said the less free time a person has on their hands, the less chance there is to get into trouble.
“Some defense attorneys will advise their clients not to chose drug court because they know they won’t be able to complete it,” Stanley said. “This program won’t be for everybody.”
The judge said people would not be kicked out simply because they fail a certain area, but instead the person could be set back a level or even sent to jail for a period, and then re-admitted. The program would use levels, becoming less restrictive as the person advanced through the court. An average person would take over a year to complete the program. The target, Stanley said, is to get people off drugs and back as productive members of society.
The end result, Stanley noted, will be a savings in both a human toll and a financial toll.
“What is it worth if we can give someone their life back, someone their child back, someone their parent back,” Stanley asked. “And what will this mean to the children who are being exposed to these toxic chemicals when their parents cook? When people get on the drug, it’s all they care about.
“And then we have the savings to taxpayers since it costs so much to house these folks. If we can return them to society and put them to work, how much will this save over time? What we’re doing now isn’t working.”
Stanley said he would like to begin the program with about 20 or 30 people once, and if, funding is obtained.
Stanley’s complete talk on the drug court issue can be heard on public radio 91.3 FM WCPI at 2:30 p.m. today and 5:30 p.m. Monday.