Thursday, September 12, Presiding Judge Tammy Riggs of the Adult Drug Court at The Second Judicial District Court held an in-person graduation celebrating the milestone accomplishments of 11 individuals.
The Second Judicial District Court (SJDC) has been a leader in the development and implementation of specialty court programs for nearly three decades. Established in 1995, the Adult Drug Court (ADC) is the largest Specialty Court and paved the way for the succeeding Specialty Courts in the Second Judicial District Court. It was designed to engage the criminal offender who is diagnosed with a substance use disorder in intensive therapeutic and judicial intervention.
Thursday marked the first in-person graduation celebration for the Adult Drug Court since the court began conducting hearings remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020.
“I am proud to preside over a court that helps participants recover from addiction and avoid future criminal activity while also reducing the burden and costs of repeatedly processing offenders through the local courts, jails, and prisons,” Riggs said.
Since 2019, the Adult Drug Court has successfully graduated 462 participants, while assisting participants in improving education, employment, housing, and financial stability. Additionally, Specialty Courts promote family reunification, reduce foster care placements, and increase the rate of mothers with substance use disorders delivering drug-free babies.
The focus of this year’s Recovery Month is on the vital role that family members play in the recovery process.
“The court understands that addiction affects not only the individual, but their entire family. Communication and support are key components in achieving successful rehabilitation,” Riggs said. “That is why I was honored to welcome graduates’ families to be a part of this momentous occasion.”
The mission of the Second Judicial District Court’s Specialty Courts is to improve quality of life, reduce recidivism, and increase community safety and awareness by engaging the drug and alcohol abusing offender and/or the offender with a mental health illness in an intensive court supervised treatment program. This is accomplished through the efforts of a multidisciplinary team that includes a judge, defense and prosecution counsel, court coordinators, treatment providers, parole and probation officers, and drug testing staff.
The SJDC has seven specialty court programs including Adult Drug Court, Family Treatment Court, Felony DUI Court, Medication-Assisted Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, Prison Re-Entry Court, Veterans Court, and Youth Offender Diversion Court, serving more than 750 participants each year.
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) findings indicate that Specialty Courts reduce crime by 45 percent more than other sentencing options. Participants in Specialty Court programs are six times more likely to complete substance abuse treatment than those not involved in a judicial program. Without judicial oversight, approximately 70 percent of substance-abusing offenders drop out of treatment.
Nevada’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) awards grants to pay for mandated drug and alcohol testing, as well as counseling, electronic monitoring, incentives, and other costs of a Specialty Court program. In addition to state funds, other sources of revenue include federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) which provides funding to establish and enhance specialty court services.