Three members of the DeKalb County Drug Court joined other drug courts from across the nation recently in the nation’s capitol for National Drug Court Conference.
While in the nation’s capitol Judge Bratten Hale Cook II, Drug Court Coordinator Corey Pedigo and Probation Officer Norene Stilber went to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators about the benefits of drug ourt’s in Tennessee.
The purposes of the meetings were not to ask for additional funding but to advocate for the goal of putting a drug court in reach of every person in need. DeKalb County is one of but a handful of certified drug courts in the state of Tennessee.
Drug courts are a cost effective alternative to incarceration for those individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. When an individual who is caught up in the criminal justice system because of their addiction asks for help, the drug court provides a treatment alternative to incarceration.
The Drug court, led by judge Bratten Hale Cook II, provides weekly supervision to drug court participants while they adhere to intensive evidence-based treatment programs and heavy random drug testing.
Drug court is cost effective because for every $1 invested last year into the drug court rogram; by state and federal  funds as well as contributions from the county, a $2.94 return on that investment was seen. That investment is moving in the direction of higher returns because of efficiencies implemented this year.
Drug court is successful because it is a collaborative approach between the court and community partners such as Haven of Hope Counseling.
The Haven of Hope has worked diligently to implement the require treatment programs that not only provide low-cost treatment to drug court participants but to any individual in the county who is in need of affordable treatment and who may not have insurance.
DeKalb County has an Adult Drug Court and Adult DUI Court and a Juvenile Drug Court. If you would like more information about the Drug court program or other treatment information, you can contact Corey Pedigo, the Dekalb County Drug Court Coordinator at 615-597-1400.