North Dakota's Drug Court Hits Milestone
Posted:Jan 06, 2012 1:07 PM EST Updated:Jan 13, 2012 1:08 PM EST
By Megan Lowry, News Reporter
North Dakota's Drug Court celebrates 11 years of sobriety today...117 people have successfully completed the North Dakota's Drug Court Program. The program started in Bismarck Mandan back in 2001 as an alternative to jail time for people who have plead guilty to drug and alcohol offenses.
Jacob graduated in 2010 after battling a drug addiction since age 14.
family Jacob says, " I've stayed sober and now good things are happening. I'm free and alive that's the best part but on top of that for the first time in my life I am happy, I have confidence and a bright future ahead of me and I'm not afraid of what people think of me. "
Participants go through a three part treatment program including 24 hour surveillance and drug testing. Participants are also required to attend court and counseling each week, along with completing a combination of 40 hours of community service, school or work each week. Failure to meet those requirements means jail time. Judge Bruce Haskell says the program is successful because it holds people accountable for staying sober---but it also forces people to take responsibility for all aspects of their lives.
Judge Haskell says, "This is really the only part of my job that I get to see people end up with positive outcomes normally I just see people and hand out there sentence this I get to know these people and share in their successes."
A total of 211 people have been a part of the program. 27 participants are allowed at a time.
