Waukesha County Drug Treatment Court Celebrates 7-Year-Anniversary
“Waukesha County Drug Treatment Court can help residents suffering from addiction get their lives back on track,” said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow. “Nationwide, drug courts have been shown to work better than jail, probation, and treatment alone to reduce crime and reduce drug use.”
From March 2012 to January 2019, 130 people successfully completed the program. The Court is a post-plea, pre-conviction program that gives offenders the opportunity to have pending criminal charges amended if they address substance abuse issues through completion of a rigorous supervised program.
“This program is helping to stem the tide of the opioid and other drug epidemics, while providing our residents an opportunity to change their very thought-patterns,” said Maria S. Lazar, Presiding Drug Treatment Court Judge. “It is not just a sobriety and recovery program, it is a means by which participants can resume productive lives in society.”
The Drug Treatment Court program consists of four phases, with a minimum timeline for each phase and specific requirements/expectations the participants must fulfill to be promoted to the next phase. The average length of the program is 18 months.
About the Waukesha County Drug Treatment Court
Implemented in 2012, The Waukesha County Drug Treatment Court is one of over 80 Problem-Solving Courts in Wisconsin. Drug Court participants have the opportunity to break the cycle of addiction; improve their chances of leading a sober, crime-free, healthy life; and contribute to a safer community.
The Waukesha County Drug Treatment Court is a collaborative effort between the courts, District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, WI Department of Corrections, Office of the State Public Defender, Health & Human Services, and Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. (WCS). Donations to support the program can be made at www.wiscs.org/support/donate.