Drug Court Cases

Knox County-Adult Redeploy Illinois
Goals and background: Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) provides financial incentives to local jurisdictions that design evidence-based services to supervise and treat non-violent offenders in the community instead of sending them to state prisons. ARI is based on the premise that local jurisdictions can reduce crime and the costs of the criminal justice system by understanding and addressing the reasons why people commit crimes. Results expected with ARI include reduced prison overcrowding, lowered cost to taxpayers, and an end to the expensive and vicious cycle of crime and incarceration. Start date: March 1, 2011; First enrollment: April 1, 2011 Grant amount: $250,000 Supplemental Funding Requested: (January
Prior to ARI funding, the public defender and the probation officer serving the drug court managed mixed caseloads of both drug court and non-drug court participants. ARI funding allows the probation officer and a contract defense attorney to focus solely on the needs of drug court offender. Evidence-based/promising practices in use: LSI-R assessment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Thinking for a Change curriculum, drug court Target population and reduction goals: Knox County has operated a drug court since 2008. From 2007 to 2009, Knox County committed to IDOC an annual average of 70 offenders who would have been eligible for diversion to a drug court program or other community-based supervision program. Knox County’s 25% reduction goal for the grant period, based on recent commitment levels within the target population, is 16. In February 2012, in exchange for supplemental funding, the reduction goal was increased to 24. Overview of jurisdiction: Knox County, located in north central Illinois, covers approximately 719 square
The ARI-supported expanded drug court allows for a higher participation capacity and consists of drug court-dedicated staff and increased treatment availability. A drug court officer works solely with drug court program offenders, providing supervision/monitoring, drug testing, and implementation of cognitivebehavioral Thinking for a Change groups. A drug court attorney works with offenders, representing them from first appearance to the end of the program. The attorney attends the weekly drug court staffing, recommends sanctions/rewards, and assists offenders with ancillary legal issues, such as custody, tenant, and ordinance violation issues. A half-time program administrator facilitates the programs and manages communication among all drug court team members, a process formerly managed by the probation officer and treatment provider. Bridgeway operates “Bridges to Recovery,” a new drug court-dedicated treatment track. Bridgeway assesses potential participants within seven days of a drug court eligibility determination and recommends a level of treatment from detoxification to outpatient. For inpatient treatment, Bridgeway refers and provides transportation to the nearest treatment center (50 miles away) and maintains communication with the provider. For outpatient treatment, Bridgeway offers