CIRCUIT TO LAUNCH DRUG COURT

JACKSON, Mo. -- Money to start a drug court in Cape Girardeau County is finally being used a year and a half after it became available.

Drug court administrator Steve Narrow received the first check of his $35,000 state-appropriated salary last week to begin organizing the court from the basement of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse.

Narrow intends to develop a program that reaches far beyond his lowly office space. He envisions a $200,000 annual program offering certain drug and alcohol abusers a combination of treatment and court-ordered accountability that has not existed here before.

Most of the drug court's criteria remains to be clarified over several months, with a probable start date for court activity in July, Narrow said.

Drug courts have gained popularity in Missouri and other states in recent years as an alternative to handling minor drug arrests. The courts offer intense local treatment and frequent scrutiny by judges, which advocates say aren't available now.

But the usefulness of a drug court for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties has divided area circuit court judges since salaries for a court administrator and commissioner, or judge, were approved almost two years ago. Associate judges Michael Bullerdieck, Gary Kamp and Scott Thomsen wrote a letter to the governor in June 1999 requesting that the funding be removed from the budget for the 32nd Judicial District.

The judges later consented to give the drug court a try, but the funding remained unused until Narrow was hired.

Drawing on experience

Narrow, 42, is counting on nearly 20 years of experience as a state parole and probation officer in Southeast Missouri to guide him. As substance abuse coordinator, Narrow already has assisted with starting drug courts in Butler, Dunklin, Mississippi and Stoddard counties.

The keys to making drug courts work in rural counties are developing adequate funding sources and finding court personnel who are willing to give extra time, he said.

St. Louis' drug court uses prosecutors, public defenders and a judge who do nothing except drug court cases, Narrow said.

Associate Judge Peter Statler, who handles juvenile and probate cases here, will add drug court commissioner to his duties. But he won't take the $95,000 salary designated for the commissioner.

Statler has said he is willing to start drug court at 6 a.m. to make it work.

A reason why a panel of judges selected Narrow was his experience in finding grants to operate drug courts, said Kent Hall, head of the state public defender's office for the 32nd and 33rd judicial circuits.

Although Narrow is seeking grants through the Missouri Department of Social Services and federal agencies, the court ought to operate on local money within three years.

"You don't receive the same federal grants over and over again," Narrow said.

As a probation officer, Narrow said he sees most substance abusers receive an hour of group counseling and an hour of individual treatment a week. But it takes four to six weeks to put a drug offender into a treatment program.

Treatment program planned

Narrow would like to adopt a similar treatment program used by the Missouri Department of Corrections. It lasts a year and involves nine hours of group meetings and at least an hour of individual treatment a week during the first 90 days. Gradually, as a person demonstrates progress, the time commitments lessen.

Two drug tests are administered weekly, which makes accountability more regular and immediate, Narrow said.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle supports the idea of a drug court but not in the same manner that other Southeast Missouri counties have done it.