Posted on February 19, 2002 at 3:45 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The new Bessemer Drug Court will hold a graduation ceremony for its first twenty participants at 10:00 a.m. on February 22, 2002 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer. Drug courts identify non-violent offenders charged with drug-related offences and provide treatment and social services as an alternative to incarceration. The Bessemer program has enrolled 175 participants.
Judge Eric Fancher, who also handles felony, misdemeanor and traffic cases, established the Drug Court program in June 2001, with the support of the Jefferson County Commission and the Bessemer District Attorneys Office. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) program administers the effort.
Offenders charged with a drug related offence are assigned a TASC case manager who closely monitors treatment compliance and enforces drug-testing requirements for a period of six months to one year. Most of the participants are referred to treatment facilities within the Bessemer community. Noncompliance is reported to the court for judicial action. Judicial and administrative sanctions and incentives are utilized to encourage adherence to program requirements.
Graduation from the Drug Court requires the offender to meet program requirements including: securing full-time employment; completing education requirements; paying Drug Court fees and related court costs; abstaining from drug use; completing community service requirements and complying with the directives of the case manager, judge and treatment providers. Successful completion of all the program requirements results in dismissal of the original charge.
The Bessemer Drug Court is modeled after successful Drug Court programs around the country. There are more than 1000 drug courts nationwide.
The program is made possible through the coordinated effort of the court system, Bessemer District Attorney’s Office, Bessemer law enforcement, TASC, and local treatment programs including JCCEO, UAB Drug Free, and The City of Hope. Sixteen local churches and non-profit community agencies have agreed to support the drug court by providing opportunities for community service work.