ADULT DRUG COURT PROGRAM

Date of Inception: October - 1998

Judges: 

The Honorable Stephen Bridgforth, Lead Drug Court

Phone: 575.523.8230    

The Honorable Douglas R. Driggers

Phone: 575.523.8261   

Program Director/Coordinator:

Virginia L. Acosta, A.C.B.S.W.
Phone: 575.528.8395     Fax: 575.528.8398
Address: 201 W. Picacho
              Las Cruces NM 88005

The Drug Court concept involves leveraging the coercive power of the criminal justice system to achieve abstinence and alter criminal behavior through the combination of judicial supervision, intensive treatment,  on-going drug testing, incentives, sanctions, and case management. A Drug Court is a special problem-solving court program given the responsibility to handle cases involving alcohol and/or drug-using non-violent offenders. 

The Judge plays an essential role in monitoring the participants' progress in treatment, supporting positive behavior and dispensing immediate sanctions for noncompliance with program requirements. The courtroom setting is nonadversarial. There is frequent conversation between the Judge and each participant during the Drug Court session.

The design and structure of drug court programs are developed at the local level, to reflect the unique strengths, circumstances and capacities of each community.

The Team: Here are our photos of our various team member:

Type of Cases:

• Deferred Prosecution (pre-adjudication)

• Post-Adjudication

• Probation Violation

• Dual Probation/Parole Cases

Drug Court:

Program Components:

Screening and assessment services; individual, group, family and couples counseling; Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT); frequent and random drug and alcohol testing performed by the Drug Court Surveillance Officers, the supervising probation officers or Pre-Prosecution Division Officers and the Treatment Provider; psychological evaluations; referrals to in-patient treatment programs as may be appropriate; 12 step programming; relapse group sessions; gender specific treatment groups; and an aftercare component.

History:

The Adult Drug Court program in the Third Judicial District Court began via a Federal Office of Justice Programs grant in 1998. A second Federal grant was received in 2000 and extended through February 2003. At present, the program is funded via monies from the New Mexico Legislature. The Program Director is responsible for the operations of the adult drug court program exclusively for the Third Judicial District Court and serves as a resource for drug court matters for the lower courts within the judicial district.

Drug courts strive to reduce recidivism and to create options within the criminal justice system to tailor effective and appropriate responses to participants with substance abuse problems. Participants are supervised by either a Pre-Prosecution Diversion Officer from the District Attorney's Office or by a Probation Officer from the Corrections Department. In addition, the Court employs surveillance officers who conduct random home visits and substance abuse testing. The Adult Drug Court Program does adhere to the ten key components required of a drug court program and also utilizes best practices in the administration of the program. 

Goals:

1. The Program will strive to reduce recidivism.
2. The Program will represent itself as a viable alternative sentencing option for the Court.
3. The Program will offer comprehensive treatment to participants.
4. The Program will encourage on-going drug court team development.

Community Linkages:

The Adult Drug Court Program has developed linkages within the community that are beneficial for both the participants and the various community agencies. 

In 2007 the Adult Drug Court Program began its Community Pride community service component.  Community Pride offers participants opportunities to perform community service during the week as well as on the weekend.  Our program’s Community Pride participants have performed community service through the Codes Department of the City of Las Cruces, playgrounds of the Las Cruces Public Schools, and the City Parks Department.  The Court Surveillance Officers manage the Community Pride community service component. 

Special Thanks:

Our program wishes to thank the following people for their support and/or generosity concerning our drug court program:

• Roberto Estrada of Roberto's. On November 1st, 2006, Mr. Estrada received the 2006 New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Award. Congratulations Roberto for this wonderful award!
• Curtis Rosemond of Wal-Mart.
• Margarita Gutierrez of Los Compas Café .
  
• Richard Day of Arby's on Amador.
• Carlos Rosencrans of Westside Trucks in Vinton, Texas.
  
• Fatah Hafassa of International Delights.
  
• Former Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace and the City Council.
• Viveck Dwivevi of Domino's Pizza on N. Main Street.
  

Team Notes:

There are currently two District Judges assigned to the Adult Drug Court Program. The team consists of each Judge, Program Staff from the Court, and representatives from the following offices: Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's office, the Adult Probation-Parole Office of the New Mexico Corrections Department, the Las Cruces Police Department, the Dona Ana County Detention Center and the contracted treatment provider.

Volunteer Community Projects:

In October 2001 and 2002, the participants and team members of the Adult Drug Court Program participated in the National Make a Difference Day project by donating children's books to the local homeless shelter. The Dona Ana County Detention Center joined with the Adult Drug Court Program in the 2002 donation of books. In 2005 the drug court participants donated canned food items to a local food bank as the Make a Difference Day project. In 2007 the participants donated used childrens books and canned food as part of the Make a Difference Day project. They also participated in the Coats for Kids local project.

Unique Accomplishments:

• In May 2004 the Adult Drug Court Team members completed the fund raising project of raising money to help the Las Cruces Police Department purchase a dog for their canine unit. This donation is the first of its kind in the nation by a drug court program team. The National Association of Drug Court Professionals' Summer 2004 newsletter also cited our donation in their national newsletter.

• The Adult Drug Court program produces periodic newsletters. The newsletter is now also on this web page. Click here for our Newsletter

• Our Adult Drug Court Team is the first in the State of New Mexico to have a representative from the local detention center. In 2001 Major Cheryl Roach from the Dona Ana County Detention Center became a member of the Adult Drug Court Team.  In early 2006 Cheryl has become Facility Administrator at the Detention Center.  She remains an intregal part of the team.  Lt. Patrick Howie has also joined our team.

• In December 2004 the Program Director was nominated and selected to serve as a practitioner faculty member for the Adult Drug Court Planning Initiative, sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, in collaboration with the National Drug Court Institute. In February 2008 the Program Director was selected as a BJA peer reviewer for the drug court discretionary grants.
  

• Since 2004 the staff and Judges of the Adult Drug Court Program have served as "trainers" for other Judicial Districts in New Mexico which have expressed interest in operating a drug court program. 
  

• Our Program Director served in 2003-2004 as  a representative from New Mexico to the Drug Court Congress. She has served on the association's Board of Directors from 2003-2005. 

Team Activities:

Since 2001 the Adult Drug Court team members provided holiday food baskets to needy drug court participants.  In October 2003 Drug Court Surveillance Officer Robert Adam suggested donating candy for trick or treat goody bags for our participants' children.  The surveillance officers deliver the goody bags to those children.  This is now a standing team tradition each October. The team regularly participates in networking lunches at state conferences and throughout the year.

IN MEMORY OF...

 It is with tremendous sadness that we say goodbye to Judge Silvia E. Cano-Garcia, who passed on the morning of September 4^th, 2006 after a long battle with cancer.

Judge Cano-Garcia was a wonderfully empathetic jurist who was a firm believer and supporter of drug courts.  When she first came to the District Court in January 2003, she worked briefly with the Juvenile Drug Court Program.  When she assumed the criminal division, she came to the Adult Drug Court Program and made her mark as a compassionate and dedicated Drug Court Judge.  She sat near the participants and cheered them on through their road to recovery.  Judge Cano-Garcia served almost two terms on the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Association of Drug Court Professionals, most recently as the Vice President of this organization.  She also served as a member of the NM delegation to the National Drug Court Congress.

We thanked her often for doing drug court, for her ongoing support and her desire to make the program one of the best.  The contributions she made to the Adult Drug Court program over the years have truly been immeasurable.  She served the Adult Drug Court program and this District with distinction, dignity and a sense of fairness.  Her kindness, true grit and spirit, sense of humor and laughter will live in our hearts and minds for many years to come.