Oakland County Board Of Commissioners Proclaims October The Month Of Oakland County Adult Treatment Court And Juvenile Drug Court Awareness
RESTORE FOUNDATION LAUNCHES DRUG COURT PARTNERSHIP SUPPORT CAMPAIGN
BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The RESTORE Foundation is hosting a breakfast reception on Tuesday, October 15, from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. at the Iroquois Club, 43248 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, MI, to announce its Partnership Program and introduce graduates from Oakland County's Drug Treatment Courts.
The Drug Treatment Courts - Adult Treatment Court and Family Focused Juvenile Drug Court - were created in 2001 by the Oakland County Circuit Court in response to the tremendous increase in numbers of people jailed for drug-related offenses. When money for courts was cut as a result of Michigan's prolonged recession, the RESTORE Foundation, a 501(c)(3), was created to help bridge the funding gap.
It costs approximately $35,000 to house a prison or jail inmate for one year. In contrast, Drug Treatment Court costs just $5,000. Since their inception, the treatment courts have achieved significant milestones in addition to substantial savings for taxpayers. The Adult Treatment Court has admitted 485 participants while the Family-Focused Juvenile Drug Court admitted 263 participants and served 442 family members. Both programs experience repeat offender rates far below national averages.
Retired Oakland County Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick serves as Executive Director of RESTORE. He stated, "It [presiding over drug court cases] was the hardest and best thing I did during my 24 years as a Circuit Court Judge. This program restored the lives of kids and their families." Deaths by drug overdoses are the second leading cause of accidental deaths in the nation, trailing only traffic fatalities. The drug courts prevent such tragedies and save lives. According to one graduate, "If it weren't for the Drug Court, I don't know where I'd be. I'd probably be dead." Another graduate went from shooting heroin and stealing credit cards to graduating top in her class as a physician's assistant.
Join the RESTORE Foundation on October 15 to learn more about Oakland County's Drug Treatment Courts, see and hear from actual graduates and learn more about this important community resource.
SOURCE The RESTORE Foundation
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