The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued the following news release:

West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard will be the keynote speaker this afternoon at the third graduation ceremony honoring participants in the Southern Regional Drug Court in Mercer County. Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin also will attend.

The graduation will be held at 4 p.m. today, Monday, January 28, in Circuit Judge Derek C. Swope's Courtroom in the Mercer County Courthouse, 1501 Main Street, Princeton. Circuit Judge William J. Sadler will preside.

The seven graduates have each spent at least a year in the drug court program, said Laura Helton, the Southern Regional Drug Court Coordinator.

Governor Joe Manchin included finding for drug courts in his 2008 State of the State address. West Virginia is receiving more than $44 million from a federal case that can be used to fight West Virginia's drug problem. He proposed that some of that be directed to fund drug treatment courts.

While each Mercer County graduate's case is unique, adult drug treatment courts generally serve only those who have either pled guilty or been found guilty of non-violent misdemeanors and felonies, and who were motivated to commit those crimes due to a substance abuse addiction. People can volunteer for the program to avoid jail and prison sentences, if a judge so orders. Prosecutors have final approval of all participants, and all participants must be evaluated as a low to moderate risk to be released back into the community.

People who have been charged with sex crimes or crimes in which a child was the victim are not eligible. Participants undergo substance abuse treatment and are heavily supervised by the Mercer County Day Report Center staff, probation officers, law enforcement and the sentencing court. If needed, they may also undergo treatment for mental illnesses. Participants may be forced to repeat certain phases if they have positive drug screens or if they refuse to cooperate. The judge may impose jail time if he feels it is necessary to make a participant follow the protocol.

Judge Swope supervises the drug treatment court in Mercer County, which opened in 2006.

There are two other adult drug treatment courts in West Virginia. The Northern Panhandle Treatment Court serves Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties. The mental health court has been operational since 2003 and the drug court has been operational since 2005. The West Central Drug Court Diversion Program opened in July 2007 to serve Wood and Wirt counties.

There are two juvenile treatment courts in West Virginia. The Wayne County Juvenile Drug Court Diversion Program opened in September 2007 and is a pre-adjudicatory program. The Cabell County Juvenile Drug Court Diversion Program reopened in August 2007. It began as a pre-adjudicatory program in 1999. Personnel changes and other issues led to the program's closure in November 2006.