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“Serendipitously” is John Linn’s description of how he became
involved with Blair County’s Drug Court program. Yet for someone
who did not actively seek a role with the Court, he has become a vital
part of Blair County’s newest approach to combating the drug problem.
 Linn, assistant professor of
criminal justice and sociology,
has been involved with the
Drug Court for over three
years—since the day he
unexpectedly was asked to
lunch with one of the Blair
County judges, who concluded
the meal with a request for Linn
to serve on the new Drug
Court. The Court is an
alternative to the traditional
model of incarcerating drug
offenders and is proving to be a
successful approach for many
communities across the country.
In establishing its own Drug
Court, Blair County
benchmarked models in Dade
County, FL, Akron, OH, and
Santa Barbara, CA. But
ultimately, a successful drug
court is designed to fit the
needs of that community;
there is no “one size fits
all” model.
Blair County’s Drug Court is comprised of
different components, including intermediate
punishment, a diversionary component, and
reentry. Linn’s role is that of process and
program evaluator. He analyzes the actions
of the court, evaluates its overall
effectiveness in terms of rehabilitation and
recidivism, and makes sure protocols are
being followed at each stage.
Focus on treatment
Drug Court is different from a prison
sentence in a number of ways, but the main
difference lies with the Drug Court’s
powerful treatment orientation. Its goal is to
keep people out of jail and off of drugs, and it
accomplishes this through a team approach.
Each client is assigned a team that includes
the judge, a treatment provider, probation
officer, community service agency, and others
if appropriate. Together, they work to treat
the drug addiction, any mental health issues,
and give the client the tools to successfully
function back in “the real world.”
Linn notes that there is a fair amount of
public misconception surrounding the
Drug Court:
“One of the biggest frustrations is that many people think we’re letting
drug dealers off. But that’s not the case at all. Our clients are people
who have a real chance at rehabilitation, given the proper treatment.”
In fact, federal law mandates that no one
guilty of a violent crime or who deals overtly
in drugs may be permitted into the Drug
Court program. Instead, the Court’s clients
are people with drug addictions, and often
with mental health issues.
And Linn notes that Drug Court is not a
“cop out.” Explains Linn, “In many cases,
drug court is more intense and more
time-consuming than jail time. The clients
are heavily monitored and regularly drug
tested. And often their time in drug court
exceeds the time they would have spent in
prison.” For example, if they relapse more
than once, they then must either go back
to the start of the program or be dismissed
from the program. If dismissed from the
program, they will be sanctioned under
conventional procedures.
Because many people who come before the
Drug Court not only have drug addictions but
also mental health issues, treatment programs
must be designed to fit the individual. This
includes an analysis of the environment from
which they came and to which they’ll be
reentering. Often this environment was an
enabling factor in their drug use, yet
relocation is unrealistic. “So,” notes Linn,
“what we try to do is give them the tools to
live in that environment. Very often, that’s the
biggest thing we can do for them.”
Skills for reentry
One of these life tools is the ability to set a
normal routine and schedule.
“What we find is that a lot of our clients ‘live
by the drug.’ There’s no routine to their lives
absent the drug. While the rest of us get up,
eat meals, go to work, watch the news, go to
bed, their lives don’t fit this pattern. The
drug is their best friend and we’re taking
away their best friend. So we try to provide
them with the skills to lead a life that’s more
positive and reaffirming than what they had
in the past.”
 Linn has incorporated the concept of drug
courts into his classroom teaching and also
has involved his students through internships
with the Blair County Drug Court. These
students have participated in the
development of databases, in the
interviewing and debriefing of clients, and
in team meetings. Having seen how the
Drug Court works first-hand, senior
criminal justice major Dawn Gardini is a
proponent of the program.
States Gardini, “Having familiarity with a
drug and alcohol treatment program, I can
say that the Blair County Drug Court is a
step in the right direction. No longer is one
shamed into treatment, but instead given the
opportunity to understand their addiction and
what it has done to them as an individual…It
has been said that the path to recovery is a
lifelong process; the Blair County Drug
Court is the first step on that path.”
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