Offering Drug Addicts a Chance to Change Lives

On a granite bench outside Division 103 of Van Nuys Municipal Court, Debbie Allsup, 41, quietly recalled a lifetime of addiction so consuming that she said she once stopped struggling against it. “It ruined my life,” said the North Hills resident, who landed in court last summer after an arrest for cocaine possession.

“Nineteen years,” added the dark-haired woman, marveling at the passage of time. “Two decades?”

On Tuesday, Allsup was one of two dozen defendants who got a second lease on life in drug court, a popular program officially inaugurated in the San Fernando Valley this week.

For the past three years, Los Angeles County officials have experimented with the concept, which places nonviolent offenders in a yearlong treatment program.

More than 20 officials from the Los Angeles County Superior and Municipal courts, the district attorney’s office and the public defender’s office showed up for the opening ceremonies.

“What makes drug court different is that from the time the case is brought to us, we separate the defendants out,” said Phil Wynn, head deputy district attorney for the San Fernando branch of the D.A.’s office. “This is a highly intensive program that involves meetings, frequent random drug tests and progress reports,” Wynn said.

If a defendant fails to abide by the terms of treatment, the person is arrested and prosecuted. Begun in Dade County, Fla., in 1989, drug courts save money and help reduce jail overcrowding, officials contend. And in an indication of the courts’ popularity, officials say more than 200 of them have opened across the nation, with more jurisdictions expected to follow suit.

The program is also expanding in the Los Angeles area. In addition to the new branch in the Valley, there are drug courts in Santa Monica, Pasadena, Inglewood, Rio Hondo and Huntington Park.

“Although each one is unique, the concept is the same,” said Shelley Ellison, a senior manager of the Van Nuys courts. “It’s to reduce recidivism by treating their drug habit and providing rehabilitation.”

Treatment is modeled after the 12-step program run by Alcoholics Anonymous. Participants pay $300 and are required to attend meetings and undergo daily drug tests administered by the Tarzana Treatment Center, which contracts with the county to rehabilitate the defendants.

“One of the unusual things about drug court is that it’s a real partnership between the criminal justice system and the health care community,” said Bob Mimura, executive director of the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee.

“You need the courts because of their authority, structure and the ability to effectively deal with relapse. Health care provides the treatment and recovery services. It’s the best of both worlds.”

The San Fernando Valley drug court, which serves the Van Nuys and San Fernando branch courts, was opened with $515,000 administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the U.S. Department of Justice.

“We’re in the business of self-redirection,” said Deputy Public Defender Richard Siggins, whose clients will include those in drug court.

“Forgive the pun, but it’s high time these resources were dedicated to this,” he said.