Drug Court (Specialized Docket)

A specialized docket

The Adult Drug Court is a specialized docket — a judicially supervised program that combines treatment, accountability, and recovery support for participants whose criminal conduct is driven by a substance use disorder. Specialized dockets in Ohio operate under standards set and certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Specialized Dockets Section.

Participation is voluntary and begins with a signed participation agreement. The program runs a minimum of 12 months across four phases. The goal is long-term recovery and reduced recidivism rather than incarceration alone.

Who is eligible

Drug Court is designed for high-risk, high-need individuals whose criminal conduct is rooted in a substance use disorder. To be considered, a defendant must:

• Be a Meigs County resident, age 18 or older
• Have a DSM-5-TR diagnosis of a moderate to severe substance use disorder
• Score medium to high risk on the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS)
• Be a non-violent offender
• Be charged with a felony of the third, fourth, or fifth degree
• Be amenable to the Drug Court program

Individuals who face or have a history of the following are not considered appropriate for the program:

• Sex offenses, dangerous weapons offenses, or firearm offenses
• Trafficking in drugs

Meeting these criteria does not create a right to participate. The Drug Court Judge decides admission to and termination from the program.

How a referral works

A referral can be made at any point in a case — after a plea, during the presentence investigation, at sentencing, while a person is already under supervision, or following a community control violation. Referrals come from the prosecutor, defense counsel, the judge, treatment providers, probation officers, or the person themselves.

The referral goes to the Drug Court Coordinator, who conducts an initial eligibility screening. Candidates who clear that screening are assessed with the ORAS, which reviews seven areas of a person’s life including criminal history, employment and finances, family and social support, substance use, peer associations, and attitudes. A licensed treatment provider completes the clinical assessment.

The Drug Court team meets weekly to review candidates and decide admissions. If admitted, the participant appears before the Drug Court Judge, signs the participation agreement, and reviews the program conditions. Participants are generally referred to treatment within three weeks of the assessment order.

The four phases

Each phase has a minimum length, but progress is not automatic and is not based on time alone. To advance, a participant petitions for graduation from the phase and must show compliance with probation appointments, drug screens, treatment, case reviews, sober support, and all court orders.

Case review hearings are held Mondays at 9:00 a.m. Reviews are conducted with all participants present, so participants are asked to protect one another’s confidentiality. Failing to appear without an excuse may result in a bench warrant.

Testing, treatment, and medication

Drug and alcohol testing is random, frequent, and observed, and it decreases as a participant moves through the phases. Participants call an automated line each day through the Ohio Community Supervision System (OCSS) to learn whether they have been selected for a screen. Failing to submit a sample, submitting someone else’s sample, adulterating a sample, or diluting a sample are all treated as positive tests.

Treatment is primarily outpatient, delivered by licensed community providers, and built around an individualized plan. Residential treatment may be required when clinically indicated. A co-occurring mental health diagnosis does not disqualify anyone from the program.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is permitted when a participant voluntarily elects it with professional medical advice, provided the prescriber is a court-approved credentialed addiction specialist or a physician with advanced knowledge of recovery. Participants must tell every treating physician that they are in recovery and must report all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to probation and treatment staff.

Sanctions and incentives

The team reviews compliance at its weekly staffing and responds promptly to both progress and setbacks. Sanctions are graduated and individualized — they may include a warning from the Judge, community service, more frequent court appearances or drug testing, daily call-in requirements, written assignments, fines, added time in a phase, house arrest, the Work Release Center, or jail.

When a participant falls short of a goal that is currently beyond their ability, the team may instead make a therapeutic adjustment — a change to the treatment or recovery plan rather than a punishment. That can mean adjusting counseling frequency or approach, adding trauma-focused or mental health therapy, a referral to residential treatment or recovery housing, or changes to MAT supports.

Incentives recognize progress: praise from the Judge, certificates, tokens of progress, reduced testing or curfew, restored privileges, advancement to the next phase, reduced fines, and recognition ceremonies.

Graduation and program costs

To graduate, a participant must have actively participated, completed all four phases, and put a specific aftercare and continuing-recovery plan in place. In deciding whether to graduate someone, the team looks at stability in family and personal relationships, housing, employment or education, support systems, progress in treatment, provider recommendations, and commitment to continued recovery. A graduation ceremony is held for every graduate, and the Judge may terminate probation on successful completion.

Participants pay a monthly supervision fee and may owe court costs, fines, restitution, and drug screening fees, and are expected to make a good-faith effort to pay them. Admission is not conditioned on financial status, and no participant is denied graduation solely because of unpaid fines, costs, or fees.

The Drug Court team

Drug Court is a team effort. The team meets weekly and includes the Judge, the Drug Court Coordinator, probation officers, the prosecutor, defense counsel, law enforcement, and treatment providers — working together to support each participant’s recovery while protecting the community.

• Judge Linda R. WarnerMeigs County Common Pleas Court
• Andrea VanInwagenDrug Court Coordinator
• Cassady WillfordChief Probation Officer
• Brittney LavenderProbation Officer
• Chandler CarothersProbation Officer
• Judge Scott PowellMeigs County Juvenile Court
• Judge Michael L. BarrMeigs County Court
• James StanleyMeigs County Prosecuting Attorney
• Michael HuffPublic Defender
• Bill GilkeyMeigs County Sheriff's Office
• Terri IngelsMeigs County Children's Services
• Angela SowersAlcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board

Treatment and recovery partners

Representatives from the following organizations serve on or work with the treatment team:

Hopewell Health Centers · TASC of Southeast Ohio · Health Recovery Services · The Recovery Council · The Counseling Center · Shawnee Counseling Center · Cardinal Recovery · Southern Hope Recovery · Field of Hope · Mended Reeds · Warriors for Christ · STAR Community Justice Center · RRS Ohio · Ascend

Contact information for every team member is listed in Appendix 1 of the Policies & Procedures manual below. For questions about the program, contact the Drug Court Coordinator through the court’s main office.