A team of legal professionals in Adams County is close to launching an important project that could help curb drug offenses in our community.

Led by Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders, the group is working to establish a drug court &045;&045; and they are working as volunteers.

With a mere $6,000 from the county for supplies, the court has no other funding. But it is almost ready to begin work with four participants who will be the first to undergo the process, which will include weekly drug tests, court appearances and meeting with law enforcement and counselors. If modeled after other programs, it will be an intense program that requires participants to hold down a job and complete community service work.

Similar programs in other counties and states have had great success in rehabilitating drug offenders and making them productive members of their communities.

What is phenomenal about the Adams County program is the level of participation &045;&045; all volunteers &045;&045; to help turn around what has been called the greatest crime problem in our community.

The drug court would be a unique approach to coping with a problem every community sees &045;&045; criminal drug abuse that is part of the vicious cycle of the failing war on drugs.

As the county’s chief deputy said, &uot;incarceration does not solve the problem.&uot;

Instead, these judges and lawyers and community residents are working toward a new solution that could help curb the problem through rehabilitation.

Starting on a small scale until they know how the program will work and how to garner other funding is a smart move.

We look forward to positive results from this project.