West Virginia Juvenile Drug Court Helps Teens Make Life Changes

Mercer County, W. Va., is tackling adult crime by working with youthful offenders to keep them out of detention and get them the substance abuse counseling they need.

The court, which works with non-violent offenders from ages 10 to 17, is founded on the idea that helping offending teens to stop using substances will prevent the teens from committing future crimes, especially drug-related crimes. In order to participate in the teen drug court, youthful offenders must have a documented history of substance use or abuse.

The teen drug court coordinator and treatment team review the youth's history to ensure that the youth has not committed a violent crime. Youthful defendants who are given the opportunity to participate in the program are required to plead guilty to their non-violent, drug-related offenses and agree to face time in a correctional facility if they do not successfully complete the requirements of the program.

These requirements include regular court appearances, community service projects and mandated substance abuse treatment. Participating teens must also have a parent or guardian who is willing and able to attend required court appearances and counseling with the youth.

Mercer County Family Court Judge Anthony Bisaha commented: "A lot of our crimes, whether they're committed by adults or children, are related to substance abuse. If we stop children sooner, we can stop the crime and save the children, too. We see that we're teaching old dogs new tricks in the adult drug court, so we hope we can teach the young ones a better way of life."

(Source: www.bdtonline.com)

Labels: addiction treatment, drug-abuse, drug-court, teen substance abuse

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 8:16 AM