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Article: RESCUE VIRGINIA'S DRUG COURTS FROM BUDGET EXTINCTION
- Article from:
- Roanoke Times & World News
- Article date:
- March 19, 2002
CopyrightCopyright 2002 Roanoke Times & World News. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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EVERYONE across the nation understands the inherent and long-term
value of drug courts. Everyone except Virginia.
The program - which offers returns in tax savings, and most
important, in rehabilitated lives - faces extinction because the
General Assembly decided not to fund it beginning July 1. Of all 50
states with drug courts, Virginia has the dubious distinction of
being the only one to completely wipe out the entire program because
of a budget pinch. Such disregard for the program's achievements is
astoundingly shortsighted.
Since 1995, Virginia drug courts have successfully dealt with low-
level dealers and nonviolent addicts. The offenders have the option
of court-supervised ...