Drug Court provides a comprehensive, integrated, and coordinated community-based system response to the use of alcohol and other drugs by offenders.  The adult and adolescent drug courts utilize a strength-based model that intertwines judicial oversight, supervision and treatment in an effort to plan for and obtain abstinence/recovery and law-abiding behavior.  Key to the success of drug court is the ability to apply immediate sanctions for non-compliance - sanctions as a form of external control until participants have integrated and demonstrated internal control by advancing through the program.  Offenders voluntarily enter the program after evaluation of appropriateness and need.  The pending charge(s) is suspended and then dropped upon successful completion of the drug court program.  The program, which is highly structured and intensely supervised, takes 9-12 months to complete.  Within that time period, participants work through a series of levels and phases earning less supervision as they progress toward graduation.  Participants are referred to the drug court by other courts, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation & Parole, mental health providers, school officials, or the Department of Family Services.

For more information, contact Debby Lynch at (307) 684-9076 or e-mail dlynch@voawymt.org.