Drug Court

About the Drug Court Program

Drug Court is a diversion program for people with substance abuse issues. Those who complete the Drug Court Program will have the opportunity to have their charges dismissed; or if referred to Drug Court for a violation of Probation or Community Corrections, the violation could be dismissed. 

The Judge can also order someone into the program as a condition of Community Corrections. Superior Court Judge Blaine Goode oversees the Drug Court Program and Amber Finnegan is the Drug Court Coordinator. Drug Court is operated through Court Services. The minimum amount of time it will take to complete this program is 18 months. 

The Drug Court Team

The Drug Court Team meets every week before the Drug Court session to discuss current applications and the progress of the participants. Drug Court Team Members

Applying for Drug Court

Anybody who has been arrested for a felony offense can apply for the Drug Court Program. A Drug Court application must be completed which can be found at the jail, at Community Corrections, at Superior or Circuit Court, or with an attorney. Once one applies to Drug Court, the Drug Court team will accept or not accept the application based upon eligibility criteria. 

If the application is accepted, the Drug Court Case Manager will send an assessment packet to complete and will interview the person for a Drug Court evaluation. The Case Manager will write a report summarizing the interview and the assessments completed and will give to the Drug Court Team for approval. The Drug Court Team will decide whether or not the applicant will be accepted into the program.

Advantages of Drug Court

If you are serious about getting Drug and/or Alcohol free and changing your lifestyle, Drug Court will give you all the tools you need to make those changes. Graduates of Drug Court have remained sober, maintained steady employment, and regained trust and repaired relationships with family and friends. You will also not have a conviction on your record!

Being Ordered to Drug Court

If the Drug Court Team accepts you into the Drug Court Program, you will be scheduled for a guilty plea hearing and will sign an Agreement to Enter Drug Court. The terms of the Drug Court Program will be explained in the agreement. If you do not complete the program, your sentence will be outlined in this agreement. Once you sign the agreement, you will be ordered to report to your Drug Court Case Manager who will explain your supervision and you will report to the next Drug Court session.

Completing Drug Court

The Drug Court Program consists of 5 Phases. Once you have completed all 5 Phases successfully, you will graduate from the program and your charges (or violation) will be dismissed! If you do not complete the program, you will be sentenced according to your guilty plea agreement.

Reporting to Your Case Manager

During the first two phases of Drug Court, you will report to your case manager twice a week; the third phase, once a week; in the fourth phase, every other week; and in the last phase once a month. You will receive a minimum of two drug screens per week during your supervision. You will also need to complete substance abuse treatment and other programming as needed which will be identified through a variety of assessments.

How to Report to Court

During the first two phases, you will report to Court each week to speak to the Judge and the Drug Court Team. During the third and fourth phase, you will report every other week and during the fifth phase, you will report once a month. The Drug Court Team meets every week before Drug Court to discuss all of the participants' progress in the program. Drug Court is in session on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. in the Superior Courtroom of the Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 East Main Street, Madison, IN 47250.

Learn More

For more information on Drug Courts visit National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)