Focus

Lane County Life Drug Court

For several decades, drug use has shaped the criminal justice system. Drug and drug-related offenses are the most common crimes in nearly every community. The mission of Lane County's Drug Court is to stop the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and related criminal activity. Drug Court offers a compelling choice for individuals whose criminal justice involvement stems from alcohol and drug use: participation in treatment. In exchange for successful completion of the Drug Court Life Program, the Circuit Court will dismiss the original charges that brought the participant into the program.

In the Lane County Life Drug Court, the treatment experience begins in the courtroom and continues through the participant's drug court involvement. Drug Court is a comprehensive therapeutic experience, only part of which takes place in a designated treatment setting. The treatment and criminal justice professionals are members of the therapeutic team.

The Drug Court Judge, Doug Mitchell, is the central figure in a team effort that focuses on sobriety and accountability as the primary goals. Because Judge Mitchell takes on the role of trying to keep participants engaged in treatment, Emergence's Focus program and other providers can effectively focus on developing a therapeutic relationship with the participant. In turn, Judge Mitchell becomes the leader of a dynamic therapeutic team while his partners, the treatment providers, keep him informed of each participant's progress so that rewards and sanctions can be provided.

Judge Mitchell's Drug Court creates an environment with clear and certain rules. The rules are definite, easy to understand, and most important, compliance is within the participant's control. The rules are based on the participant's performance and are measurable. For example, the participant either appears in court or does not, attends treatment sessions or does not; urinalysis tests reveal drug use or abstinence. The participant's performance is immediately and directly communicated to the judge, who rewards compliance or penalizes noncompliance. Judge Mitchell's Drug Court establishes an environment that the participant can understand - a system in which clear choices are presented and individuals are encouraged to take control of their own recovery.