Drug Court in the News
View the video of the recent KHOU/Channel 11 News story(March 2008) about the Texas criminal justice system. It features an interview with a drug court graduate, Kathryn Griffin, who spoke at Emerson during the formative stage of the HCDC Foundation.

Drug Court Foundation Update, June, 2008
From the Executive Director, George F. Pope, D.Min.

(Members of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church provided more than $78,000 seed money to start the Houston Drug Court Foundation in 2007.)

A total of 31 grant/funding applications have been submitted. Grants have been received from the “Campaign for Human Development” of the Archdiocese of Galveston/Houston and St. Philip Presbyterian Church. Five applications have been denied, all others are pending. Recently, a staff member from the Simmons Foundation made a site visit to a Drug Court docket as part of the grant evaluation process. Gifts continue to be received from individuals.

Efforts to raise public awareness continue. A group of eight area clergy recently attended a luncheon at the court house. Also in attendance were the four presiding Drug Court judges: Caprice Cosper, Devon Anderson, Mike Williams and Brock Thomas. This provided an excellent opportunity to broaden our ecumenical outreach and understanding of the Drug Court in the faith community. The event was co-sponsored by the Foundation and the Harris County Drug Court. In addition we now have a “complete” address list of area congregations, including a significant number of email addresses. An email marketing strategy is under consideration.

The Harris County Drug Court has produced an eight minute video on the STAR (Success Through Addition Recovery) program. This excellent video is available for viewing by contacting any member of the Board of Directors: Max Buja, Christel Erickson and Gabe Gelb.

Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston provides office space, telephone, accounting service and general office support at no cost to the Foundation. Our appreciation and thanks goes out to Eliot Gershenson.

Drug Court: a Moral Imperative
Emerson's Drug Court Task Force received recognition in the following article published in the October 2003 edition of Mosaic, the newsletter of the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston.

The opening of two Drug Courts in Harris County is being celebrated at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church. For more than a year, several members of the congregation have served as consultants and tireless advocates for an issue they feel extends beyond government responsibilities.

“The current drug policy is ravaging our community,” says Chairman of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church’s Drug Court Task Force, Gabe Gelb. “The Drug Court is a more compassionate way to deal with non-violent drug offenders whose lives may be ruined by being sent to state jail.”

Gelb and fellow Emersonians responded to a Statement of Conscience passed by the National Unitarian Universalist Association in June of 2002 that called for alternatives to the war on drugs. Gelb says the Task Force Group’s objective is to save lives and save money by bridging the gap between the criminal justice system and therapeutic approaches to drug dependency.

“It costs the state $16,000 a year to care for an offender in state jail. It costs $1,600 a year to care for an offender going through the Drug Court,” says Gelb.

Drug Courts exist in many cities and offer non-violent drug offenders alternatives to the 6–24 month average jail time for drug offenses. Statistics suggest that drug offenders who are assessed jail time have a recidivism rate of more than 26%. Gelb says that drug offenders who go through Drug Courts have a recidivism rate of less than 4%. “We’re not only saving money we’re saving lives and protecting ourselves,” says Gelb. “This is like a free opportunity for people to get off drugs.”

The Drug Court offers a 12–18 month alternative to jail time which includes substance abuse treatment, drug testing, counseling and weekly progress reports. Participants may request the alternative treatment, but must satisfy criteria which include being of adult age, a U.S. citizen and having prior history of drug use and convictions. At full capacity, each Drug Court will assist 150 people. The estimated cost of operation is $1 million a year. The two Drug Courts in Harris County receive no funding, though the probation department, district attorney’s office and judges will lend some of their staff to the effort. Gelb says Emerson is investigating the possibility of establishing a non-profit (501 c3) organization to raise funds for the Drug Court. Such an organization would seat an interfaith board of directors. “Emerson people feel very strongly that it is completely natural for faith based organizations to get involved in this issue. This is a moral issue,” says Gelb.