Adult drug courts are expanding quickly in West Virginia with one for Roane and Calhoun counties set to be unveiled Tuesday.
The announcement of the new court brings the state closer to its goal of having the diversionary program in every county by next year.
West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin said earlier this year that by 2016 the goal is to have the court in all 55 counties. Benjamin routinely speaks at drug court graduations around the state and plans to attend the opening ceremony Tuesday at the Roane County Courthouse in Spencer.
Drug courts act as diversionary programs for people who are addicted to drugs and have been charged with relatively minor crimes. In lieu of jail time, participants take an extensive testing, counseling and community service program run by the court system to help them control their substance-abuse problems. If the participant completes the program, prosecutors agree to dismiss their criminal charge.
In February, officials gathered at the Capitol to celebrate 1,000 graduates of adult and juvenile drug courts in the state.
With the addition of Roane and Calhoun, 39 counties in the state now are covered by drug courts, said Jennifer Bundy, spokeswoman for the Supreme Court.
Also, four programs already are in the works, which would cover 10 additional counties, Bundy said.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has said it's estimated that drug court programs save West Virginia taxpayers about $21 million annually in incarceration costs. Many graduates have credited the program with saving their lives.
West Virginia's first adult drug court was established in 2005 in the Northern Panhandle under the leadership of former Ohio County Circuit Judge Martin Gaughan.
It has not yet been determined which judge will oversee the program in Roane and Calhoun. The counties are part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit and also include Jackson and Mason counties, which already have drug courts.
"Rigorous evaluation and research has demonstrated that, where adult drug courts are implemented consistent with models and procedures developed based on objective studies, they significantly reduce recidivism and substance abuse among high-risk substance abusing offenders," a news release from the Supreme Court states.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazette.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.