Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney - James F. Kanatzar
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Drug Court

Drug Court

Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker
Jackson County became just the second county in the nation -- after Miami-Dade County in Florida -- to begin operating a Drug Court from which non-violent offenders can "graduate" after going through rehab and receiving other counseling.  Drug Court is operated through the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and is geared toward helping people find employment or enroll as full-time students and become productive members of society.

More than 1,200 people have graduated from the Jackson County Drug Court, with more a majority remaining conviction free within five years of their graduation.

Jackson County's Drug Court has served as a model for other Drug Court Programs across the nation.

The Drug Court program lasts between 12 to 18 months, with participants receiving court-supervised treatment. Drug Court allows eligible individuals an alternative to traditional criminal prosecution.

After a defendant agrees to complete substance abuse treatment, participate in community-based job training and stay drug free, his or her prosecution is put on hold until all requirements are met. When participants succeed in fulfilling those requirements and graduate from Drug Court, the charges against them are dismissed. Participants leave the Drug Court clean and sober, employed or full-time students, and without having a conviction on their record.