The Olympian/File
In June 2000, graduates of the Thurston County Jail's chemical dependency program received their original jail mug shots along with their diplomas to remind the offenders of how far they had come. Mason County officials are working toward having a similar program within the next year.

Mason officials plan for drug court system

Idea keeps offenders out of jail, helps break pattern of drug-related crimes

DUGGAN KINNE FOR THE OLYMPIAN

MASON COUNTY -- Officials are working to change the way local drug offenders are treated by the criminal justice system.

"Putting people in jail for drug offenses doesn't work," Mason County Superior Court Judge James Sawyer said. "We believe we have a better solution that holds tremendous promise for the residents of our county."

Sawyer is referring to participation in drug court requirements instead of jail time for individuals charged with certain drug-related crimes. Kitsap and Thurston counties both have drug courts. Mason County leaders are involved in an intensive planning process that they hope will lead to federal funding to start a drug court within the next year.

In the drug court program, people charged with certain drug-related crimes are invited to participate in treatment, intense supervision and educational activities for 12 to 24 months instead of going to jail, although jail time remains the consequence of not living up to the drug court's requirements.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Strophy has been involved with his county's drug court since 1997 and has seen numerous participants "gain an education, pick up job experience, heal relationships, get kids back, go off welfare and become productive tax-paying citizens instead of tax users," he said.

Recently, nine of Mason County's administrators, including Sawyer, Mason County Sheriff Steve Whybark, Mason County Probation Office Administrator Harris Haertel, Shelton Police Chief Terry Davenport, Mason County Commissioner Herb Baze, Mason County Prosecutor Gary Burleson and County Health Director Steve Kutz spent several days together at a U.S. Department of Justice-sponsored planning session in Louisiana, learning more about how to operate a successful drug court program.

"We were trapped together for three days in a hotel, given lots of federal programming, and forced to confront those issues that are necessary so a drug court would be successful here," Sawyer said. "We were given specific assignments, and we'll be getting together again in California in August to complete our drug court planning work."

All the travel and lodging expenses during this planning period were paid for by the Justice Department. When the planning is completed, Mason County will receive priority for drug court funding if monies are available at the federal level. The expectation is that federal funding for the drug court would last for three or four years at decreasing levels of support and would gradually be replaced by state and local funding.

"There's a tremendous cost savings to society by using the drug court approach," Strophy said. "The drug court program costs are about $3,000 per individual for 12 to 18 months versus $55 per day for jail time."

"The biggest thing that impressed me was listening to a judge who wasn't part of the Justice program, but wandered in from another conference because he knew one of us," Baze said. "He's been doing the drug court for six years, and said we will too. It's emptying out the jails and breaking the chains of repeat offenders."

"I asked the Clallum County commissioners how they could afford to pay for the program, and they responded they couldn't afford not to have it, because it works," Baze said. "It's something we're going to pursue; I think it's very necessary."

Duggan Kinne is a correspondent for The Olympian.

For more local news go to the Communities section.

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