“The program enables the criminal justice system to assist in a drug user’s recovery, as opposed to just picking them up, writing them up, and putting them in jail.” -Jennifer Wheeler, business development and outreach director, New Life
“Victimless” defendants Ammons notes that most of the clients the court refers to New Life are first-time offenders and non-violent ones, and “haven’t put anyone’s life at-risk but themselves.” Once they are in the drug court program, defendants know they are being monitored and if they use drugs and have a positive urinalysis “they are going to have consequences.” New Life staff are in constant contact with the court and regularly provide reports on each client’s process, Ammons says. Drug defendants who are accepted into the drug court program, may or may not be sincere and “serious” about complying with the rules and completing the program successfully in order to have their criminal charges dropped. They show their intentions by their actions, Ammons points out. Those who do not follow the rules – including maintaining sobriety – and complete the process are returned to the criminal court. “So, it is not an easy path,” Ammons says. Ammons would like to see drug courts expanded to give more people the opportunity to access addiction treatment, and avoid having a criminal record caused by substance abuse. Jennifer Wheeler, business development and outreach director for New Life, also considers drug courts a “very positive” trend. Jails and other correctional facilities are not equipped to handle drug users who need detoxification and treatment, she points out. The drug court program enables the criminal justice system to “assist in a drug user’s recovery, as opposed to just picking them up, writing them up, and putting them in jail.”
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