Wyoming Drug Court Association Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ`s)

To promote a more thorough understanding of Drug Courts and the Wyoming Drug Court Associations function we are providing you with the following answers to some frequently asked questions.

For additional information, please visit the National Association of Drug Court Professionals at www.nadcp.org and other helpful sites listed on our Resource Links page. 

Q. What is the purpose of the Wyoming Drug Court Association?

The Wyoming Drug Court Association (WDCA) is an organization designed to support, promote, improve, and sustain Wyoming Drug Court programs in order to effectively reduce the social, economic, and personal costs of substance abuse and associated crimes in our community.

More specifically, Wyoming Drug Courts are committed to working together through the WDCA to:

• Reduce substance abuse, crime and recidivism;
• Promote the philosophy and the ten key components of Drug Courts in a uniform statewide manner;
• Provide technical assistance and mutual aid to association members;
• Create a clearinghouse of information to assist the development, implementation and sustainability of evidence-based and best practices in drug courts;
• Promote and advocate for the establishment and funding of effective Drug Courts in Wyoming;
• Stimulate development of other judicially supervised treatment programs, in cases where appropriate;
• Perform such other related activities to accomplish the stated goals and activities.

Q.  Are Drug Courts and Problem Solving Courts the Same?
A. A Problem Solving Court is a term that is more inclusive of the variety of drug courts that exist, including family treatment courts, juvenile substance abuse courts, mental health courts, DUI courts, drug courts, etc.  For the purposes of these FAQs, we are using the term Problem Solving Courts to be inclusive of the variety of programs in Wyoming (family treatment courts, DUI courts, Drug Courts, combined DUI/Drug Courts, Juvenile Drug Courts).  In general, when Drug Courts are referenced throughout this website, it is meant to include all the varieties.

Q.  What is a Problem Solving Court?

A. A Problem Solving Court is an intensive, highly structured program designed to identify and treat offenders whose criminal activities are generally related to substance abuse. The program places offenders in counseling and provides structure in that person`s life. Accountability is provided in part by a probation officer and or case manager who checks on the person`s progress through home and office visits. In addition, the participant must attend periodic (typically weekly) court sessions during which their treatment compliance and drug testing is monitored. A Problem Solving Court`s goal is to break the vicious cycle of drug addiction by offering the tools to stay clean. Those tools include, among other things, counseling, educational and employment assistance.

Q. What is substance abuse?

A. The excessive consumption or misuse of a substance for the sake of its non-therapeutic effects on the mind or body, especially drugs or alcohol.

Q. Which offenders are eligible to participate?

A. Once an offender has been identified as a substance abuser, he or she is screened for eligibility. The extreme majority of participants are multiple offenders who have been through more traditional treatment programs in the past and yet have continued to recycle through the criminal justice system.

Q. Who is not eligible to participate?

A. Typically, people can be ineligible to participate in drug court if they are classified as a violent felony offender, drug dealer, a person who is not chemically dependent. Each local drug court program establishes their program criteria.

Q. What is the Drug Court Team?

A. Wyoming State Statute 5-10-104 describes the Drug Court Team as follows (as of 5/08):
a) A local drug court management committee shall be established by each local drug court. The members of this management committee shall be actively involved with the drug court. The management committee shall consist of:
(i) The judge who presides over the local drug court; 
(ii) One (1) prosecuting attorney, selected by the county or district attorney; 
(iii) One (1) member of the bar who practices criminal defense, selected by the judge of the drug court; 
(iv) A monitoring officer, agreed upon by the attorney members of the committee and the judge; and 
(v) A representative of the treatment providers, agreed upon by the attorney members of the committee and the judge.
(b) The five (5) members of the local drug court management committee specified in subsection (a) of this section may appoint additional members.

Additional team members often include law enforcement, mental health representatives, program evaluators, medical, education and employment assistance representatives. 

Q. What services are available to the offender?

A. Individual and group outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment, 12-step programs, GED, literacy classes, continued education services, thinking skills development, budgeting, vocational rehabilitation, and parenting classes are among the services available to many county programs. A probation officer/case manager supervises an offender`s case, helping him or her stay on track. The probation officer/case manager assists with referrals to other agencies to help meet the offender`s education, employment and other needs.

Q. How long do Problem Solving Court Programs last?

A. Minimum program lengths vary, but typical requirements range from one to two years. Staying in the program depends on how well the offender deals with the structure that is added to his or her life. An offender is normally required to be in court on a weekly/bi-monthly or monthly basis, and to arrive on time and stay for the entire drug court session. If the offender is not doing well, the judge may order increased drug testing, more meeting attendance, short jail time, or other creative graduated sanctions. The alcohol/drug treatment component of the program at a minimum includes weekly treatment meetings, weekly 12-step meetings (AA/NA meetings or other community support groups) and frequent and random drug testing.

Q. What are some of the rules?

A. A problem solving court participant is required to attend all meetings and court sessions and be on time. Failure to appear in court may result in a warrant for arrest being issued. Abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is an ongoing requirement. Failure to comply with rules of the program will result in the imposition of immediate consequences. Obviously, no drugs, alcohol or weapons are allowed. Behavior that disrupts the treatment of others in the program is not tolerated. Many drug courts have implemented dress codes for court attendance.

Q. How is someone terminated from the program?

A. An offender may be terminated from Drug Court through voluntary withdrawal, new felony charges, tampered urine screens, or not complying with the program`s rules and guidelines.  Circumstances prompting termination vary by program.  ‘Opting out` may often result in the offender returning to the original court of conviction for resentencing and possibly a lengthy period of incarceration.

Q. How does an offender graduate from the program?

A. Typically an offender must successfully complete all phases of the program, have a significant period of clean time prior to graduation, and have paid all fines and program costs.  Programs may establish additional requirements to be approved for graduation.