The drug court ceremoniously closes 32

Friday afternoon was graduation day in Hernando. 32 people who agreed to participate in the drug court program in lieu of prison time. They received their certificates during a ceremony in the main courtroom of the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando.

Mississippi's drug court program offers an alternative to traditional prison sentences. The focus is on rehabilitation and recovery, reducing a convicted offender's substance abuse and recidivism tendency, also known as recidivism.

Most drug court participants combine court supervision and substance abuse treatment. They attend counseling, undergo regular drug testing, and regularly attend court hearings to have their progress monitored. Successful participants may have their fees reduced or dismissed upon completion of the program.

Officials say drug courts have succeeded in reducing the number of recidivists. They will also be cost effective for the county. For example, taxpayers were saved approximately $2.5 million because participants went to drug court instead of spending time in prison.

Housing an inmate in prison is much more expensive than treatment through a drug court program.

Those who participated in drug court also face fines, and about $100,000 in fines have been paid.

Drug courts also provide other activities, such as family counseling, mental health support, and job training, that help individuals reintegrate into their communities.

Retired Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Ann Lamar spoke at Friday's graduation ceremony. Lamar said she and current state Supreme Court Justice Robert “Bobby” Chamberlin helped establish a drug court around 2006 in the district, which includes DeSoto County.

“Every (drug) court is different and ours is very different,” Lamar said. “This is one of the most difficult drug courts. I’m proud of each of you, I know what you’ve done to get here.”

Lamar noted that there is now a drug court in every part of Mississippi, one in every county, adding that when drug court was introduced as a new concept, it was viewed as a special court for specific needs.

Many valuable lessons were learned during the drug court process, Lamar said.

“I want you to remember how far you have come,” she told the graduates. “I want you to remember where you were when you started this journey and how hard you had to work to get to this point in your life.”

Drug courts offer the incentive of getting out of prison and finding employment, and the penalty of prison time if participants do not remain drug-free and do not comply with all program requirements.

Both Lamar and Chamberlin were district judges when the program first started in DeSoto County in 2006. Ten offenders from DeSoto County were part of this first drug court program.