Savannah-Chatham County Drug Court holds 11th Graduation Ceremony


L-r: Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, his wife Nell Benham, Superior Court Judge James Bass, and Sheriff Al St. Lawrence. Back row (l-r): Colonel McArthur Holmes, Programs Manager Angelia Dorsey, Court Administrator Shawn Amacher.
L-r: Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, his wife Nell Benham, Superior Court Judge James Bass, and Sheriff Al St. Lawrence. Back row (l-r): Colonel McArthur Holmes, Programs Manager Angelia Dorsey, Court Administrator Shawn Amacher.

On August 13, 2008, The Savannah-Chatham County Drug Court held its 11th graduation ceremony. Eleven graduates were welcomed back into the community by the Honorable James Bass of Chatham County Superior Court and Drug Court Programs Manager Allen Canady. The guest speaker was Justice Robert Benham of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Justice Benham encouraged the graduates by highlighting some of the positive events that occur at the Courthouse: marriages, adoptions, and home ownership.

“Community’s hope is restored at the courthouse and lives are made whole,” he expressed. It is only fitting that the Drug Court Program is centered around the courthouse.

Judge Benham commended Chatham County for implementing such a program. “Drug Courts are good economics for the county and its taxpayers,” he noted. “For every $1.00 we spend on a participant, we save the community $7 to $8 dollars,” he continued.

Judge Bass also commended Chatham County for its continued support of the Drug Court Program.

As an alternative to incarceration, Chatham County established a Drug Court Program in October, 2001. Drug Court is under the supervision of Superior Court Judge James Bass and has served 258 clients to date. Of those clients, 72 have graduated and 97 were terminated. There are currently 85 participants in the program.

Of the 72 graduates, only 6 have been convicted for felony drug charges since graduation, which is a 91% success rate of the program.

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