BECKLEY – The Raleigh County Adult Drug Court will hold its opening ceremony Feb. 26 at the Raleigh County Judicial Annex in Beckley.
The event will begin at 1 p.m. and will be held in the third floor courtroom of Raleigh Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Burnside Jr. There will be a reception to follow the ceremony.
W.Va. Supreme Court Justice Brent D. Benjamin, Burnside and Director of West Virginia Probation Services Michael B. Lacy will speak at the ceremony.
A drug court is a specially designed court program with the purpose is to achieve a reduction in recidivism and substance abuse and to increase the likelihood of successful rehabilitation through early, continuous and intense treatment; mandatory periodic drug testing; community supervision; appropriate sanctions and incentives; and other rehabilitation services, all under the supervision of a judicial officer.
Drug courts that are properly implemented increase the likelihood of successful rehabilitation while simultaneously reducing the cost to the public below the historic costs of addressing these problems in the criminal justice system, according to a press release from the W.Va. Supreme Court.
The First Adult Drug Court in West Virginia was established in the Northern Panhandle in 2005.
