2 May 2006
Drug court association honors Supreme Court judge
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – The Missouri Association of Drug Court Professionals honored Supreme Court of Missouri Judge William Ray Price Jr. Wednesday, April 26, at its annual conference in Osage Beach for his efforts strongly advocating for the drug court system.
The award is named the "Claire McCaskill Award" in recognition of the former Jackson County, Mo., prosecutor's efforts to introduce drug courts to Missouri and to help turn Missouri's drug court system into a national model. McCaskill presented the award to Price.
"Illegal drug use is the driving force behind crime in Missouri," Price said. "Drug courts are the most efficient and effective way to fight illegal drug use. Drug courts help people in trouble to face their problems and to turn their lives around."
The association noted that Price became interested in drug courts while he served as president of the Kansas City, Mo., Board of Police Commissioners and was instrumental in helping McCaskill develop the first drug court in Missouri after his appointment to the Supreme Court. In addition, he pushed for legislation to formalize the Missouri drug court system and formed a statewide drug court commission. When he served as chief justice of the Supreme Court, Price repeatedly advocated for continued and increased funding of the highly successful drug court program.
The drug court programs allow persons charged with nonviolent drug-related crimes to avoid prosecution by completing a yearlong program of treatment, counseling, job training and frequent drug testing. The programs' goal is to reduce drug-related crimes and the high rate of recidivism typically seen with drug offenses.
Thirty-six of Missouri's 45 judicial circuits have drug court dockets, giving Missouri more drug courts than any other state in the nation. Drug court dockets have proven to be a cost-effective method for diverting nonviolent offenders from incarceration in prisons. A recent university study of drug court dockets statewide projects that Missouri will save more than $7,800 per offender per year by using drug court diversions rather than incarceration.
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