MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - The Midland County Drug Court’s mission is to enhance public safety as well as break the cycle of recidivism while reducing costs to the tax-payers.
In order to ensure their mission is met, the court provides a judicially supervised regimen of treatment and innovative case management to substance-dependent offenders with the goal of returning sober, productive, law-abiding citizens to society.
“Midland County Drug Court takes adult felony offenders, who have a substance abuse issue whether it be drugs or alcohol, and they are screened to make sure they actually have the issue and are high risk, high need,” said Judge Elizabeth N. Rainey, magistrate for the Midland County Drug Court.
The program began about 6 weeks ago and currently have 17 people signed up.
According to the court, they sign up about one to four people a week and could eventually take on 95 people.
“The first group that we had they labeled themselves the pioneers. So, they are kind of challenging each other to be the first graduate of the program,” Judge Rainey said. “Two of those gentlemen were on their 4th DWI facing 25 years in prison each and they are coming up on 30 days of sobriety next week.”
The court is made of two tracks including the Adult Felony Drug Court and the Transitional Treatment Court.
Specialty Courts are a non-adversarial approach to the criminal justice system that brings together a team of professionals including Probation Officers, Counselors, Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys, and Law Enforcement.
Research has proven these types of courts work to return sober, crime-free, productive community members all while saving the taxpayers money.
More on the Midland County Drug Court can be found at www.co.midland.tx.us.
