PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A judicial program heralded as a means to curb drug-related crime by requiring offenders to seek treatment has made its way to rural eastern Kentucky.

        Called drug court, offenders are given the choice to go through rehabilitation or go to jail or prison. Pike County will begin the program next month with hopes of rehabilitating drug abusers.

        Pike District Court judges Kelsey Friend Jr. and Darrel Mullins witness every day the destructive aftermath of drug abuse. Most of the offenders who stand before them in court have committed crimes either while on drugs or in a desperate attempt to fuel their dependency.

        Judge Mullins said the county's courts have become increasingly clogged with drug-related cases and that incarceration alone is not effective in ending the cycle of drug use and related crime.

        After getting out of jail, Judge Mullins said, many offenders never receive treatment, continue to abuse drugs and continue to commit crimes to fuel their addictions.

        “If you put people in jail, when they get out they violate again. This (program) is to stop that revolving door,” Judge Mullins said.

        As part of the drug court concept, adult offenders of drug- related crimes receive a probated sentence or have their guilty pleas set aside and the charge possibly erased from their record, in return for successful participation in a strict regimen of rehabilitation.

        Along with treatment and counseling, drug courts subject offenders to random drug testing several times a week and can impose brief jail sentences for those who fail.

        Offenders admitted to the program also must appear once a week in court before a judge to review their progress. They also are required to become employed, get an education or do community service, and keep a journal.

        While participants can avoid jail time by being in the program, Judge Friend admits the requirements of the program make committing to drug court, which lasts about two years, tough.

        “We find that unless they have at least 12 months over their head, they are not going to stay in drug court, because the 30 days (in jail) compared to the tedious program that we have makes it much more preferable to serve out the 30 days,” Judge Friend said. “There are some people we won't be able to help, but then there are others who want to get off drugs and are willing to make the commitment.”

        Across the state, similar drug court programs are seeing success, Judge Mullins said. With the growing drug problem in Pike County, Judge Friend said the program is worth a shot.

        He said that of the more than 16,000 cases that come before the district court judges each year, 70 to 80 percent of the people eventually jailed have an underlying alcohol or other drug problem.

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