Cobb County’s drug treatment court celebrated five new graduates last week, the latest to complete the accountability court program that launched over 20 years ago.
The court is designed to rehabilitate nonviolent offenders with substance use disorders through treatment and counseling, including weekly drug testing and court appearances for 18 to 24 months. Participants risk going back to jail and face the original charges by breaking the program’s strict rules. Charges can be reduced, dropped or expunged upon graduation.
“Drug Court was a place for me to learn who I really am. It helped me gain the necessary tools and skills I needed to maintain my life. I needed the accountability to get my life on the right track and now it is better than it ever was,” one of the graduates said in a county news release.
The program has had over 700 graduates in 20 years, according to county data. Accountability court programs have revolutionized criminal justice in Cobb County and across the U.S. by reducing recidivism and bettering outcomes for the individuals who participate, advocates say.
“The Cobb County Drug Treatment Court transforms the courtroom into a place of hope and healing,” said Judge Kimberly Childs, who oversees the court. “Instead of punishment, we offer evidence-based treatment and compassion to foster a lifetime of sobriety.”
