Yancey County Commissioners approved plans this week for developing a drug treatment court program for Yancey County. This program is being developed in partnership with Madison and Mitchell counties to reduce substance abuse related deaths and crimes throughout our region. This multiple county partnership will provide a cost-effective, person-centered approach to address substance abuse issues of offenders involved in the court system through a formal agreement approved by all three counties. The county boards of commissioners are providing local funds to establish this program for our communities while also seeking grant opportunities to further support its work.
Drug courts are currently operated in Watauga and Avery counties in the judicial district. The expansion of the program to Yancey and the other counties in the 5-county judicial district will provide an opportunity to county citizens to address substance abuse issues and break the cycle of addiction that often involves criminal activity. “The intention of this drug treatment court program is to reduce costs to the community, whether they are the financial costs of incarceration, social services or medical care or the emotional costs and toll substance abuse takes on families who lose someone to overdose, impairment or incarceration,” stated Commissioner Chairman Johnny Riddle. This is a rigorous program monitored by a team consisting of judge, district attorney, probation officers, treatment providers and other community partners designed to hold offenders accountable while assisting them become productive members of society. The drug treatment court program is expected to be operational this fall.
This drug treatment court initiative is the latest in a series of actions the Yancey County Commissioners have taken to address the growing national opioid epidemic and substance abuse issues that face every community. Earlier this year, commissioners formally declared the opioid epidemic a public nuisance and directed county officials and agencies to take actions to tackle this problem. Commissioners also voted to join a national lawsuit against opioid distributors who have contributed to the crisis. “All commissioners are committed to working together with our community to take actions that will provide resources to yield positive results for citizens of Yancey County,” stated Commission Vice-Chair Jill Austin.
