8 participants to graduate from Bourbon/Scott/Woodford Drug Court program Thursday in Georgetown

Note: Due to the confidential nature of the Drug Court program, the Administrative Office of the Courts seeks prior written permission from Drug Court participants who choose to be interviewed, photographed and otherwise recorded by the media. If you are interested in interviewing/photographing/recording a participant, please contact Jamie Neal at the email address or phone number below.

FRANKFORT, Ky., Nov. 28, 2018 – Eight participants who have successfully completed the Bourbon/Scott/Woodford Drug Court program will be recognized at a graduation ceremony Thursday, Nov. 29, in Georgetown. The media and public are invited to attend. The event will take place at 6 p.m. ET at the Scott County Justice Center at 119 N. Hamilton St.

Four of the graduating participants are from Scott County and four are from Woodford County. The Scott County participants and two of the Woodford participants are in the Circuit Court Drug Court program. The other two Woodford participants are in the District Court Drug Court program.

Circuit Court Judge Brian K. Privett and District Court Judge Vanessa M. Dickson serve as the Drug Court judges for the Bourbon/Scott/Woodford program and will preside over the graduation ceremony. The judges volunteer their time to conduct Drug Court proceedings.

In addition to the public and media, invitees to the graduation ceremony include law enforcement representatives, elected officials, attorneys and representatives of drug treatment facilities.

The Bourbon/Scott/Woodford Drug Court program has 58 active participants, which includes the eight who are set to graduate Thursday.

About Kentucky Drug Court
Kentucky Drug Court operates as part of the Department of Specialty Courts at the Administrative Office of the Courts, the administrative arm of the state court system. The AOC pays for treatment, drug testing and case management, and no fees are charged to defendants to participate in the program.

Drug Court serves nonviolent offenders whose main problems stem from substance use disorder. This court-managed treatment program combines intensive supervision with treatment and provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional criminal case processing. It takes participants an average of 22 to 25 months to complete the program’s three phases and aftercare.

Kentucky Drug Court oversees 54 adult programs that serve 113 counties. The program’s success can be measured in the number of lives changed and the cost savings to Kentucky taxpayers. For every $1 spent on Drug Court graduates, the state saves $2.72 on what it would have spent on incarcerating these individuals.

The program has helped reduce illicit drug use and related criminal activity and lowered rearrest, reconviction and reincarceration rates. It has increased payments of delinquent child support and improved employment rates. As of June 30, 2018, 9,289 individuals had graduated from Specialty Court programs statewide and participants had paid $6.7 million in child support and $7.2 million in court obligations, including restitution and fines.

When participants successfully complete the program, charges may be dismissed through diversion, or conditional discharge may be granted through probation. Judges who participate in Drug Court volunteer their time to the program.

Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 court system employees and 404 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.

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