Chief Justice Brent Benjamin told a large crowd at the Coalfield Jamboree that when some participants in alternative treatment programs mess up and get in trouble with the law again, it's important to remember that far more participants will remain on the straight and narrow path.

The Jamboree was filled with attorneys, social workers, counselors and others who came out for the official grand opening of Logan's Drug Court and Juvenile Drug Court.

Benjamin, who has attended most drug court participant graduations across the Mountain State said Drug Courts have had a tremendous success rate in helping people avoid recidivist traits. Benjamin said it's important to remember that without drug court a lot more offenders would be getting in trouble with the law when they are eventually released.

"It's a reality that people have problems in their lives and that is what the court system is about," Benjamin said, explaining that court personnel in West Virginia do a lot of work that touches people's lives.

Benjamin said that as the times have changed the court system has had to change with it to deal with issues like child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and drugs. He said that statewide as the budget was reduced by 8 percent, court services actually increased. Benjamin singled out Logan Circuit Court Judges Eric O'Briant and Roger Perry as "pioneers in good public service" noting their spearheading projects like Day Report, Drug Court and other projects.

Benjamin asked people to imagine what it is like for an offender who has been arrested due to substance abuse to get a second chance at life through a program like Drug Court, due to their own hard work.

"Imagine a program like this which brings families back together...where the community is served," Benjamin said, noting that projects like Drug Court were often risky for elected officials, who took a chance on incurring public displeasure. Benjamin praised Logan's judges and county commission for doing the right thing in supporting the programs.

"They realized they could do something that would help people and it works," Benjamin said, noting that just punishment alone will not solve the current drug crisis affecting communities across the nation.

"The recidivism rate (for traditional incarceration) is just horrible," Benjamin said. "This program stops that. It creates responsible citizens....It can help rebuild lives and families....It's a wonderful program."

Benjamin said he supports the drug court program and will do "everything he can" to support more of them across the state.

The days proceedings began with a tour of the Drug Court and it's treatment teams followed by a dinner with guest speakers at the Coalfield Jamboree.

Judge Eric O'Briant thanked the Logan County Commission for their help and support with the adult and juvenile drug court program. O'Briant explained the intensive treatment teams and how drug court worked by coming up with treatment plans to make participants face their problems, come up with solutions and get clean and sober and back on track. O'Briant said that Drug Courts are not a new thing, but are becoming more prevalent across the state and nation.

Judge Roger Perry said he had seen things change a lot in his 30 year legal career. Perry said that as things had changed the courts had to meet the challenges.

"Drug Court was a big step," Perry said.

Logan County Commission President Art Kirkendoll welcomed Chief Benjamin and the other dignitaries to the services and thanked Willie Akers and Danny Godby for their support on the alternative sentencing program. Kirkendoll praised the judges and the West Virginia Supreme Court for having the foresight to look into programs that could help people with problems in rebuilding their lives and going straight. Kirkendoll said in the 1980s the only program the county had was probation, but as societies' drug problem increased the judicial system had to address it. Kirkendoll said that when drug court participants became a part of society again it benefited taxpayers and the community.

Director of Probation Services Mike Lacy said he was proud of what Logan County had done and shared statistics and facts about recidivism and drug court successes as well as what substance abuse costs taxpayers. Lacy said in 2008 over $330 million was spent by the Criminal Justice System in dealing with drug abuse. He said the cost to people’s lives, communities and families was even higher.

"That is where Drug Court comes in," Lacy said, praising judges O'Briant and Perry and Chief Probation Officer Charlie Brown and Probation Officer Tiffany Robinson for their understanding those problems and addressing them head on with programs that help.

"They go the extra mile," Lacy said. "I am proud of Logan County."

Director of Mental Hygiene and Treatment Courts Linda Richmond Artimez spoke about the public awareness campaign of the National Drug Court Professionals association.

"We now have 2,200 Drug Courts across the US," she said, noting that families and communities benefit when Drug Courts help offenders get past their problems and rebuild their lives. She said in West Virginia, studies have shown an 85 percent success rate for drug court participants with only a 15 percent recidivism rate. Success rates for standard incarceration are much lower and the recidivism rate is over 30 percent for standard incarceration.

"Drug courts work," she said, explaining that it takes at least one year minimum to successful complete the program, which is one component of it's success compared to 30 day rehab programs. She noted that Logan's Drug Court is staffed by many volunteers.

Administrative Director of the WV Supreme Court Steve Canterbury called Judge O'Briant and Perry "extraordinary" for their concern about the community and the projects they had spearheaded from the Continuity of Operations Planning in case of large scale disaster to alternative sentencing and treatment programs. He praised Logan County for putting together a functioning and working Day Report program on an initial $20,000 grant, noting the project was a success from the beginning despite being started "with almost nothing."

"You have to have Day Report before you can have a Drug Court," Canterbury said. "Logan County is a flagship in these programs, which is why other counties come here to study how you have done it, so they can do it right."

Canterbury thanked the County Commission for their support on these projects and singled out Magistrate Leonard Codisopoti as somebody who gave him blunt information about what was going on in the county.

"Inmates go into the system as addicts," he said, explaining that some will succeed and some will "crash and burn" but with drug court there will be more successes, according to studies and statistics.