NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Clarksville General Sessions Judges Ken Gobel and Ray Grimes testified during the second meeting of the House Task Force on Opioid Abuse last week.
The task force was formed last month by Speaker Beth Harwell to work on legislation and determine the best strategies for tackling the opioid epidemic.
Tennessee is consistently ranked at the top of the charts nationally with regards to prescription drug abuse.
Last week, the judges justified that the Montgomery County Drug Court was founded in 2005.
Drug Court provides intense supervision, treatment, referral, and job placement services to drug court participant so they can remain drug-free. Participants take 12-24 months to complete the course. The most prevalent abuse is opioid drugs. They are easy to attain, easily addicted to, and the hardest to break, according to the testimony.
Veteran treatment courts have military mentors to help with those addicted, and data shows that 70 percent of those who start the program will finish. The recidivism rate is between 10-15 percent. The court does not allow any use of narcotics to treat participants. Other options are available for pain management.
Drug and Veteran Courts are different from other courts in that this court is very involved in the participants’ lives. They require participants to engage in self-help programs, (such as AA) and they must seek employment, a driver’s license, treatment, or public service.
Legislation is pending to start a pilot program in Montgomery County where in-patient treatment is available in the jail.
Speaker Pro Tempore Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville) is chair of the Opioid Abuse Task Force.