Any special circumstances concerning the defendant are included in the judge's progress report. The Court may increase the frequency of urinalysis testing, order increased attendance or participation in a residential program as a requirement to stay in the program, and may order jail time as a sanction. Terminating the defendant from Drug Court of course, is the final sanction. The defendant can, at any time, ask to be sentenced. A defendant who successfully completes the Drug Court Program will have his or her criminal case dismissed.
Graduation is a recognition of the participants accomplishments.
Post graduation activities include an alumni association, aftercare plans and mentoring projects. The arresting officers are invited to the graduations. This program is an excellent example of what cooperation between criminal justice agencies can achieve in establishing a swift and fair justice system that results in the most cost-effective adjudication of defendants at the least expense to the taxpayers. Tony Ocegueda, Mental Health Systems, Inc.