Problem Solving Courts Help Addicts Get Back On Their Feet

ANDERSON, Ind. — There is a special court in Madison County that is specifically geared toward helping drug addicts get back on their feet.

Also known as a “drug court” its goal is to help addicts stay on a path of permanent sobriety by putting them through a rigorous program of meetings with counselors, medical drug addiction treatment, random drug testing, and other means.

“I do think that the fact we do have these resources makes our community better,” said Judge Angela Sims, who runs the Madison County Drug Court, on WiSH-TV. “We really work in a holistic approach with these people.”

She added that just “being sober” is probably the easiest part about going through her program. It also includes finding jobs that can build a skill set for recovering addicts who could not get the learning experiences they needed to make a career.

Madison County Drug Court started in Anderson in 2000 and, after 23 years, just over 1,300 people have participated.

“It’s needing all the other pieces put together to ensure that sobriety lasts and recovery last well beyond the program, and that’s certainly our ultimate goal is that they don’t recidivize,” Sims said.

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush told WISH-TV about her goal to have more of these types of courts in Indiana.

At the moment only 58 of Indiana’s 92 counties have a problem-solving court.