New Program Set to Aid Teen Drug Offenders

In an effort to steer young drug users away from crime and help them kick their habits, the county will soon launch a juvenile drug court modeled after a successful adult program that came to the county four years ago.

The teen drug court, scheduled to start in early April with 45 participants, will give youths the chance to shorten their probation period or even avoid time in juvenile hall if they agree to receive treatment and stay off drugs.

“We see many kids who it’s really obvious that they have a serious drug problem and that it is driving their criminal behavior,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Miles Weiss, who oversees the juvenile unit. Through the drug court, Weiss said, the county hopes to identify those youths, treat their addictions and prevent them from relapsing.

The juvenile drug court, which will meet every Friday afternoon, is still in the formative stages. For the last several months, drug counselors, probation officers, judges and attorneys have been planning the program, which will be funded by a $250,000 federal grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

The youths will spend 12 or 18 months under intense supervision by a probation counselor. During that time, they will regularly undergo drug tests and make court appearances. They will also receive counseling and therapy--either at Apollo High School in Simi Valley or at the Police Activities League Teen Center in Oxnard.