Bill Text: MS HR81 | 2011 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Mississippi Drug Court Program; commend on saving lives and saving money for Mississippi taxpayers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-25 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HR81 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2011-HR81-Engrossed.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: The Entire Membership
House Resolution 81
(As Adopted by House)
A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE MISSISSIPPI DRUG COURT PROGRAM AND CONGRATULATING ITS SUCCESS IN SAVING LIVES AND SAVING MONEY FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, the Mississippi Drug Court Program has been helping to save the lives of Mississippi citizens as well as saving money for the taxpayers of Mississippi since its inception after the passage of Senate Bill No. 2605, 2003 Regular Session, which was signed into law by the Governor of Mississippi and went into effect July 1, 2003; and
WHEREAS, the statewide drug court programs have been remarkable alternatives to the old approach of incarceration and more incarceration, by replacing expensive per inmate annual incarceration costs with less expensive treatment services; and
WHEREAS, with the first drug court having begun in the Ridgeland Municipal Court in 1995, this efficient method of addressing the woes of a certain population of offenders along with the highly publicized success stories of the program and its participants has evolved into some 38 drug courts around the state that have produced more than 1,583 graduates who have successfully reintegrated into society over the course of its existence; and
WHEREAS, participants undergo long-term treatment and counseling, sanctions, incentives and frequent court appearances, and successful completion results in dismissal of the charges, reduced or set aside sentences, lesser penalties, or a combination of these; and
WHEREAS, the most important benefit afforded by drug courts is that graduating participants gain the necessary tools to rebuild their lives; yet, also important to the success of the program is the savings to the taxpayers of the State of Mississippi, with estimates showing that the drug courts save the state $100,000.00 each day; and
WHEREAS, varying somewhat between jurisdictions in terms of structure, scope and target populations, all share the three primary goals to reduce recidivism, to reduce substance abuse among participants and to rehabilitate participants through a special organizational structured model that includes the following key components: incorporating drug testing into case processing; creating a nonadversarial relationship between the defendant and the court; identifying defendants in need of treatment and referring them to treatment as soon as possible after arrest; providing access to a continuum of treatment and rehabilitation services; monitoring abstinence through frequent, mandatory drug testing; establishing a coordinated strategy to govern drug court responses to participants' compliance; maintaining judicial interaction with each drug court participant; monitoring and evaluating program goals and gauging their effectiveness; continuing interdisciplinary education to promote effective drug court planning, implementation and operations; and forging partnerships among drug courts, public agencies and community-based organizations to generate local support and enhance drug court effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi's drug courts target adult and juvenile substance abusers, nonviolent defendants and juvenile offenders who have undergone both a legal review and a clinical assessment by drug court team members; and
WHEREAS, successful participants are given a new lease on life after having faced the possible perils associated with a life of incarceration as opposed to the liberties afforded them as rehabilitated societal engagers, who are sometimes so paramount in their accomplishment of the program that a few are even retained for hire to serve as quasi-case managers; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to acknowledge the success of this drug court program that has become an important and valuable asset to the citizens of the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize and commend the Mississippi Drug Court Program, congratulate its success in helping save the lives of citizens of the State of Mississippi and saving money for the taxpayers of the State of Mississippi, and extend sincere hope for the continued success of the program in the future.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Administrative Office of Courts of the Mississippi Supreme Court, to each drug court around the state, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
