PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Drug Treatment Court Graduation in Sixth Municipal District

Released On 10/09/2002

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Sixth Municipal District Presiding Judge Ronald C. Riley announced that a Drug Treatment Court graduation ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 9, 2002, at 2:00 p.m. in the Sixth Municipal District court facility, Jury Assembly Room (second level), located at 16501 S. Kedzie Parkway, Markham, Illinois. Certificates of completion and recovery medallions will be awarded to twelve (12) graduates who have successfully completed all program requirements of the court-based intervention program.

Please note: Drug Treatment Court graduates will be given the opportunity to speak about their experience in Drug Treatment Court and how it has impacted their recovery. Media are invited to attend to inform the community about the success of court and community based intervention programs.

Chief Judge Evans said, "The Circuit Court of Cook County's Drug Treatment Courts continue to provide a viable, cost effective alternative to reducing the pervasive use of alcohol and drugs in the criminal justice offender population." Programs designed to treat nonviolent drug offenders were introduced in the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1998 in the Fourth and Sixth Municipal Districts, and the Criminal Division at 26th and California in Chicago. By offering drug treatment and social services in combination with close court supervision, these innovative programs are helping to reduce crime by returning former drug offenders back to the community as self-sufficient, productive citizens.

Offenders targeted for the drug treatment court are nonviolent offenders whose involvement with the criminal justice system is due, primarily, to their substance addiction. Eligible offenders are identified as soon as possible in the court process and upon being accepted into the program are referred for substance abuse treatment. Drug treatment court participants must submit to frequent urinalysis, report to their case manager, participate in treatment, and be present for frequent status hearings before the drug treatment court judge. Under the supervision of Presiding Judge Ronald C. Riley, the Sixth Municipal District drug treatment court judges are the Honorable Thomas P. Panichi and the Honorable Christopher J. Donnelly. All participants in the drug treatment court are supervised by the Adult Probation Department (felony offenders) and the Social Service Department (misdemeanor offenders).

There have been eight (8) Drug Treatment Court graduations in the Sixth Municipal District's program. As of May 1, 2002, eighty-six (86) participants have graduated from the program. The first graduation ceremony was held on April 23, 1999.