Our plan to aggressively fight the drug epidemic By Steve Guccini and David Ruby
As the drug addiction problem in Pike County continues to escalate, it is imperative that we take the necessary steps to confront this problem head on by establishing a dedicated drug court. Many people in our community have been touched by this issue –– not just the users, but also their families and friends. Moreover, the problem has severe collateral consequences. Home burglaries continue to be a major problem, as people steal jewelry, electronics or any other items that can be pawned for cash to buy more drugs. And the rising cost of incarceration is a significant drain on limited public resources.
This epidemic has been readily observable for years, especially the rising use of heroin. But we have buried our heads in the sand and seem to believe, “Oh, that happens in other places, not here.” Any local government official, including the Commissioners, need only to go to the County Courthouse on any criminal court day and just observe what is going on, day after day, week after week, month after month. They would have recognized the problem 10 years ago, rather than suddenly “discovering” it.
If elected as Pike County Commissioners, we plan to change this reactive attitude and proactively take action. To date, our community has approached the drug problem with only one course of action: punishment. That is often necessary. People who sell drugs, especially near schools and to teenagers, must be prosecuted. However, there are scores of individuals who have addiction problems and have not committed violent crimes. Sending them to jail not only drains our financial resources but also often fails our most valuable resource of all ¬¬–– our children. While offering drug treatment programs in jail is a good step, it is by definition too late.
A drug court provides a unique system that allows law enforcement, the judicial system, and social services to come together and offer offenders a realistic path to rehabilitation. It will allow people to see if they can make it in the real world. They will be continuously monitored and tested; they will have to seek employment; they will have to make the right choices in terms of friends and acquaintances; they will have to successfully complete whatever course of treatment is required. If they do not, then they will face jail time. These programs have been used successfully in other parts of the country and in other parts of the Commonwealth and have been demonstrated to both save lives and money.
Establishing a drug court is largely the province of the judicial branch. However, they need help from county government. Grants need to be found. Coordination efforts have to be made between the courts, the District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office. Treatment options must be made available. Indeed, that is one of the major requirements of any such program. Also, we must seek a program that will ultimately be accredited by the State Supreme Court. Many counties in Pennsylvania have programs, but only eight are fully accredited.
We believe we have the necessary experience and credentials to effectively spearhead this effort. Steve has over 30 years of criminal court, real world experience. David has seen the problems close up as a first responder. None of this will be easy. It will take time and effort. We must begin now, however. Too much is at stake to keep our heads buried, continue with failed interventions, or wait any longer.
Steve Guccini of Greentown and David Ruby of Milford are Democratic candidates for Pike County Commissioners. Their full platform is available at www.RubyGuccini.com.