Overton Recovery Judge Sees Gov. Lee’s Court Expansion As Positive

Overton County Recovery Judge Daryl Colson said Governor Bill Lee’s recently passed law for recovery courts will help divert more people from state prison.

The law expands eligibility for recovery courts, shortens maximum amount of probation and prevent some people from going back to jail for probation violations.

“One of the biggest hurdles we’ve seen is that there are certain limitations under the old law that would preclude people from coming into recovery court,” Colson said. “So, the governor’s action to modify that is certainly exciting.”

Colson said recovery court focuses on addiction and is court ordered mandated treatment. Colson said it is one of the most successful ways with dealing with addiction in the court system.

“Participants are usually drug tested multiple times a week,” Colson said. “They are required to have a 40 hour a week job. They are required to engage in treatment such as in patient, out patient services. They are monitored. Their location and whereabouts are monitored.”

Colson said he wants to see recovery court expand even further to domestic cases. Colson said often times these crimes are drug related.

“If we can address the addiction issues that lead to domestic violence, we can potential save families from grief and harm and put families back together,” Colson said. “In juvenile court, most of the removals I do are drug related, so if we can address addiction in the family, we can keep families together and reduce juvenile court case load, as well as the case load in the system as a whole.”

Colson said recovery court is more difficult than doing jail time. Colson said going to jail does not stop the reoccurring addiction behavior, but recovery court does.