Riley County Community Corrections Director Shelly Williams told commissions today that the Drug Court Program is progressing nicely. Started in March of 2022, it is a specialty court authorized by the Kansas Supreme Court, which also has Veterans and DWI courts. Williams explains:
Drug Court is for people with substance abuse disorders. The program provides oversight from the court, so the offender can complete a treatment program and work on lifestyle changes, often in lieu of a jail sentence. Locally there are currently ten participants, and they are overwhelmingly complying with the requirements. Williams says the program is also saving public funds:
In addition to the savings, the program is 75% funded by the Kansas Fights Addiction Act; which diverts money to address substance abuse and help ensure addiction services are provided, from funds that were recovered by the attorney general pursuant to opioid litigation. The remaining 25% is funded by the municipality. There are multiple agencies involved in the program, all with a goal of setting participants up for success.
