Friday mornings in Superior Court Judge Brian Amero’s courtroom are as much about dispensing life lessons as exacting justice.
Last week, the Henry County judge met with four drug addicts taking part in an innovative rehabilitation program created by Amero to get them well while saving taxpayers money.
Instead of sitting on his bench, Amero talked face-to face with each person, listening as they told about the challenges they faced during the week.
One man complained about having to wait a long time to see his probation officer. A young woman wanted to know if she could waive paying some of what she owed the court so she could repay money she owed her grandfather. Another man came up short completing his community service hours.
Amero gently but firmly admonished them that life isn’t fair or often flexible. Pay your court debt, granddad will have to wait, he said. Now, instead of having to do 20 hours of community service, the errant participant must do 28. No excuses.
Welcome to Henry County's new adult felony drug court, an 18-month intensive program.
"We're trying to turn people who are tax burdens into people who are taxpayers," said Amero, who recalled his frustration as a prosecutor seeing drug users repeatedly show up in court because no one was addressing their underlying addiction.
The drug court is part of a growing national trend known as accountability courts, programs created to help offenders avoid jail time through rigorous rehabilitation programs. The number of accountability courts nationwide has grown to more than 3,000 since their inception in the early 1990s.
Georgia has 2,800 offenders being supervised by 33 adult felony drug courts, said John Foller, Atlanta-based coordinator of the state's accountability court system. In addition to drug courts for adults and children, Georgia has accountability courts for DUI, mental health, domestic abuse, family dependency treatment, child support and veterans.
Henry's drug court is financed with money seized in drug raids and court fees paid by offenders. It is the county's third accountability court. Henry also has a DUI court in its state court and a mental health court.
"It's an investment," Foller said. "The outcomes are good for everybody. You save money and fewer people get in trouble in the end."
Henry had more than 6,000 arrests last year; 25 percent -- or 1,500 -- involved drugs or alcohol. Other types of arrests documented in association with drug use were burglary, robbery, larceny and aggravated assault, said Kelly Bush, Henry's court financial administrator.
"This is a persistent problem, one that needs this nuanced approach," Amero said of the new court. "It can make a big difference in the amount we spend on corrections and in people’s lives, and it will have a ripple affect on families and communities."
Henry's drug court will cost about $10,220 per person, including courtroom costs, drug screenings and counseling, based on an average of 25 participants, which court officials expect to have within two months. That compares with $85,440, the average cost to taxpayers to incarcerate one person for five years, Bush said.
The program, however, is not a Get Out of Jail Free card.
“It’s a highly structured program,” Amero said.
Once a participant enters the drug court program, their prison sentence is suspended. Participants have to attend nine hours a week of group counseling plus do at least 20 hours of community service each week or have a full-time job.
They also must attend an Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meeting every day during the week and must report to the probation officer once a week in addition to going to court every Friday. During the week, they also have to submit to drug tests and random, unannounced searches by police. They also must abide by a curfew set by the court.
“They’ve signed a waiver of their Fourth Amendment rights that allows police to search their home, vehicle or the person themselves day or night,” Amero said. “There’s really no privacy or opportunity to secret drugs from any [drug court] team member.”
An hour before drug court convenes each Friday morning, Amero meets with his team: the public defender, prosecutor, counselor, probation officer, the officer who does the random checks and the drug court coordinator.
The weekly team meeting helps the officials "know what [the participants] are saying. We also know immediately if someone's not doing well or not following through," said drug court coordinator Daryl Dotschay. "It's high accountability. Everybody is on the same page. We're right there to deal with whatever issues come up."
In the two weeks since the court has been in session, Amero said there have been no violations among participants in the program. "I'm very excited about the direction we're taking this group."
Program participants say it has been a learning experience and has kept them busy. The court declined to give their full names to protect their privacy.
If a participant doesn't complete the program, he or she must serve their pre-determined jail sentence, said Amero, who has been on Henry's Superior Court bench for five years.
"It’s a remarkable savings," Amero said. "It's not just a tax saving. You’re also allowing people to reconnect to the community in a positive way."
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