Despite praise for their effectiveness and documented success in lowering recidivism rates in the state, drug courts in Georgia will face a funding cut of from 6 to 10 percent in fiscal year 2009, the Courier Herald reported August 19.

According to Judge George H. Kreeger, the chairman of the Administrative Office of the Court's Standing Committee on Drug Courts, continued decline in state revenues has precipitated this decision. "In order to be proactive, the decision has been made to reserve 10 percent of your court's 2009 grant budget until the state revenue concerns are resolved," Kreeger said in a letter to the drug courts. Governor Sonny Perdue had previously announced a budget cut of 6 percent for all state departments.

The first Georgia drug court became operational in 1994. The program was introduced as an innovative approach to confronting the increase in drug-related crime. Judge William Riley of the Atlanta Community Court has lauded the concept, saying, "traditional sentences may punish offenders, but do not address underlying problems an individual may have."

"We won't help less people, we'll just have to tighten everything we spend," said Jeannine Lloyd, coordinator of the Dublin County Judicial Circuit's drug court. Dublin's success story is highlighted by the 40 percent rate for successful completion of the program with only a 10 percent recidivism rate for participants, far lower than for offenders who do not attend drug courts.

Lloyd is philosophical about the looming cuts. "The program works, we'll just have to figure out how to do more with less."