What Is The Drug Court?
The Rhode Island Superior Court Adult Drug Court was created over a decade ago and has helped countless defendants defeat their addiction and turn their life around. If you complete the program you will have your charges dismissed and sealed from your record!
The Drug Court holds the individual responsible for his/her past actions and accountable for future decisions. Since its inception, the Drug Court has been able to provide a mechanism for non-violent felony offenders that suffer from addiction to seek the appropriate level of substance abuse counseling, and ultimately adapt to a sober and healthy lifestyle.
The goal of the Drug Court is to integrate substance abuse treatment with the criminal justice system and divert nonviolent defendants from the traditional criminal court process to a forum where a therapeutic program is offered to assist the individual to modify behavior, improve their quality of life and reduce recidivism. Combining substance abuse treatment and other support services with close supervision by the Court holds the defendant accountable and gives them an honest chance to succeed.
How Does It Work?
Once a defendant is referred to the Drug Court, an assessment is conducted; the defendant is referred to a substance abuse treatment provider who develops an individual treatment plan. I will be in constant contact with you and the Drug Court to make sure that the process is properly set up for you.
The Drug Court is in constant contact with the treatment provider throughout the defendant’s participation in the Drug Court to ensure they are staying on course with the treatment plan. During the course of treatment and involvement with the Court, participants are subject to random weekly drug screens and are closely monitored through case reviews. I will be with you at all court dates and help you navigate the court experience so you can focus your efforts on your treatment.
If all requirements and expectations are met, after 12 months of review, participants your charges will be dismissed and court records sealed and expunged.