Will County Drug Court Gets $300,000 Grant to Fight Heroin Epidemic

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Drug Court has been awarded a $300,000 federal grant to expand services to combat the county’s growing heroin epidemic.

The grant, which provides $100,000 annually for the next three years, was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2016 Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program, according to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The Drug Court will use the funding to hire an additional case manager and to expand counseling, treatment and therapy services for criminal defendants who are in the program. The federal grant will also enable the Will County Drug Court to increase its capacity by roughly 50 percent and bring an additional 35 to 40 defendants into the program. The Drug Court currently has the capacity to handle roughly 75 non-violent defendants who are attempting to kick their addictions to illegal narcotics and avoid felony criminal convictions. Over the past 16 years, the Drug Court has graduated more than 350 non-violent offenders whose criminal charges were dismissed after they completed the intensive program.
The Will County Drug Court has an across-the-board success rate in excess of 80 percent, which means that fewer than 20 percent of graduates commit additional crimes.

“Will County Drug Court has been highly effective in helping offenders beat their addictions and become productive, responsible members of our community.” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said in a news release. “I have lost track of the number of drug court graduates who have thanked me for starting the program because without it the heroin they were using would most certainly have killed them. The heroin epidemic that is sweeping our nation has taken far too many lives already. This federal grant will enable us to expand Drug Court services to a greater number of people and hopefully save lives.”

County Executive Larry Walsh in 2011 brought together local leaders to form Will County HELPS (Heroin Education Leads to Preventative Solutions) to tackle the growing heroin problem.

“This grant will help expand this critical program offered by States Attorney Glasgow’s office,” Walsh said. “We now know addiction is a medical illness and the crimes people commit in order to support a drug habit are often part of the illness. Jim’s Drug Court program has already helped hundreds of people turn their lives around and become productive members of the community. These additional dollars will enable him to help even more people.”

In Drug Court, prosecutors and defense attorneys work with the judge and treatment providers to help abusers who have committed non-violent offenses battle their addictions. Those allowed into the program are carefully screened and must remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find employment, follow through with treatment and attend weekly Drug Court sessions.

Photo: Three Will County Drug Court graduates, Anna Craig, Gabrielle Vallejo and Necia Gudgeon, light candles during the 2016 graduation ceremony. (Courtesy of the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office)

By Scott Viau (Patch Staff)