Drug Court FAQ - Dauphin County Criminal Justice Portal

DRUG COURT
DAUPHIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Program Point of Contact:
Catharine Kilgore, Criminal Justice Administrator
Dauphin County Courthouse, Room 205
101 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: (717) 780-6764
Fax: (717) 255-1396
ckilgore@dauphinc.org

DC Drug Court FAQ 11/14/2011
How does the Drug Court Process begin?
The Drug Court Assessment Process is designed to take place on the front end of will
utilize a “fast track” system with a goal of moving an eligible defendant through the
system within thirty (30) days. Often, these types of defendants have a high risk and
high need and do not have the financial resources to make bail. This program would
give us means to deal with their need, control the risk of the community and move them
out of the county prison system at a much faster rate.
An offender wishing to participate in the Dauphin County Drug Court should, through his
or her attorney, complete a “Drug Court Referral Form”, then submit it as detailed on the
form. The form is available for online completion and printing in .pdf format, or may be
downloaded for completion at a later time. It is important to understand that completing
the form on-line is for convenience only, and does not submit the form; the referral form
must be either mailed or faxed.
What happens after I send in my referral form?
The Drug Court Team Case Manager will schedule an evaluation with the referral to
identify his/her treatment needs. The Drug Court Team caseworker will utilize accepted
assessment tools in determining and making their clinical assessments. These tools
are well known in the field and include the Bio-Psych-Social and Pennsylvania Client
Placement Criteria (PCPC) in addition to other clinical tools. The caseworker will
provide the following to the Drug Court Team:
Provide information for and completion of any indicated report to the Drug Court
Team.
Make appropriate offenders referrals to contracted providers
Assist offenders with ancillary services to augment psychotherapy
Input all data into the computer system
Arrange any indicated aftercare services upon completion of residential
treatment. Provide information for and completion of any indicated report to the
Drug Court Team.
The Drug Court Team meets once a week to review the cases of any new referrals. In
addition to the offender’s current case, the Drug Court Team reviews the criminal history
of the offender, the evaluation results from the Drug Court Team Case Manager and
hears any other information Drug Court Team members may have related to the case.
After review of all information available, the Drug Court Team votes whether an
applicant is accepted into the program. An applicant needs a majority vote in order to
be accepted to the program.
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DC Drug Court FAQ 11/14/2011
Do I have to enter a plea before beginning the Drug Court program?
Yes. The Dauphin County Drug Court is a post-disposition program. By entering a plea
prior to Drug Court participation, you are accepting responsibility and accountability for
your actions. In return, you will receive the treatment, monitoring and information you
need to overcome any pattern of substance abuse or addiction that fueled your criminal
behavior, rather than a punitive sentence of incarceration.
How long will I be in Drug Court?
Drug Court is, on average, an 18 month program from sentencing to completion. The
Drug Court program is divided into three (3) phases, as detailed below.
The Three Phases of the Drug Court:
Phase I: 120 days to 150 days duration
Stabilizing offender/detoxification (if necessary)
Inpatient/Outpatient/Self-help programming
An individual treatment plan is created for each offender
Appropriate and stable housing component
Performing community service hours on a daily basis
Drug Testing/twice weekly through a variety of drug testing methods
Supervision provided by the Intensive Drug & Alcohol Supervision Unit
Offenders report in front of the court on a weekly basis for review of their case
Electronic monitoring/GPS if necessary
Phase II: 120 days duration
The offender removed from the electronic monitoring program and placed in
the Intensive Drug and Alcohol Supervision Unit for supervision
Continue outpatient counseling as recommended
Meet with Court on a bi-weekly basis
Urine screen (reduce level)
Education/job training programming
Job search/secure job
Phase III: Remaining supervision, average 120 days duration
Continue being supervised under Intensive Drug and Alcohol
Supervision Unit
Urine screening
Meet with the Court on a monthly basis
Continue treatment as recommended
Sponsor a Phase I participant
Graduation
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DC Drug Court FAQ 11/14/2011
What does my Probation Officer do for the Drug Court?
The Probation Officer will supervise the offender on a daily basis while working with the
Drug Court Team caseworker. The Probation officer will supervise the offender on an
intensive supervision and will report weekly to the Drug Court Team as to the offender’s
supervision.
What do I need to complete/accomplish in order to complete, or graduate, from
Drug Court?
Graduation Requirements
Successful completion of the treatment program
Fulfillment of goals as stated in the individual treatment plan
Minimum of six months of drug and alcohol-free tests
Obtain gainful, consistent employment or significantly involved
in a vocational/academic training program
Maintain a stable living arrangement and healthy interpersonal
relationships
Can I be terminated from the Drug Court program, and if so, what will happen to
me?
Removal from Program
Each defendant will appear before the Drug Court Judge weekly during Phase I
of the program. Potential sanctions including verbal warnings, increased
treatment, increased drug testing, 48 hours in jail, roll-back in Phases, or
termination from the program, revocation and re-sentencing.
If an offender continues to show a lack of progress, fails to respond to sanctions,
or continues to miss treatment and/or uses drugs or alcohol, he/she will be
terminated from the drug program. At that time, the Judge will conduct a
revocation hearing and, if preponderance is found, sentencing will be imposed.
What is the Drug Court Team?
Dauphin County’s Drug Court Team is a multi-disciplinary unit, comprised of individuals
from different County Offices and Agencies, each involved in some aspect of the Drug
Court Program. Currently, there are 13 members of the Drug Court Team, comprised of
persons from Dauphin County’s:
Court of Common Pleas Judiciary
Office of the District Attorney
Office of the Public Defender
Office of Adult Probation
Department of Drug and Alcohol Services
Human Services Office
Court Administration
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DC Drug Court FAQ 11/14/2011
What if I still have other questions?
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered, please contact Ms. Catharine Kilgore
at your convenience; her contact information is provided on the cover page of this
document.
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