Overview
Drug Recovery Court is a specialized docket presided over by Judge Richard E. Berens of the Fairfield County Common Pleas Court, General Division, that focuses on supervision and treatment.
To be eligible to participate in the Drug Recovery Court, an individual must be under community control supervision with the Fairfield County Community Control Department.
Further, the individual’s drug addiction must be a causal factor in their criminal history.
Mission
To provide intense, specialized, and individualized supervision and treatment to participants with the aim of encouraging them to confront their addictions and problematic behavior and become productive members of society.
This in turn will reduce the likelihood of recidivism and protect the community as a whole.
Accountability
This mission will be achieved through frequent contact with and direction from the Community Control Department, counseling service, and the Court.
Participants will be held accountable for their behavior via periodic drug and alcohol testing, counseling reports, and in-court hearings, as well as the use of graduated sanctions and rehabilitative services.
The Three Phases
Phases are the steps in which a participant’s performance and progress through the Drug Recovery Court program are monitored.
Phase 1
- Focuses on connecting the participant with the tools and skills needed to achieve sobriety, which often entails placement in a residential treatment facility or intensive outpatient counseling.
- Participant required to meet with his or her Community Control Officer 1 to 3 times per week, to submit to randomized drug tests 1 to 3 times per week, and attend in-court status hearings on a bi-weekly basis.
Phase 2
- Centers on relapse prevention and aftercare.
- Participant still required to meet with Community Control Officer, drug test as ordered, continue counseling, and attend meetings, although often with reduced frequency.
Phase 3
- Focuses on continuing care.
- Participant expected to utilize the support system they have cultivated throughout the first two phases, including, but not limited to, community support group meetings, a sponsor, employment, stable housing, and positive communication with family, the courts, and the Community Control Department.
For more information about the Drug Recovery Court, please contact Wayne Moss at wayne.moss@fairfieldcountyohio.gov.