With the growing drug epidemic, the Kentucky Drug Court was created to assist individuals who have entered the criminal justice system as a result of drug use or drug-related criminal activity, and are choosing to achieve and maintain recovery. This program also helps with the overcrowding of jails and the prison system. 

 According to the handbook for Kentucky Court Participant, “the program uses a team approach that requires collaboration among judges, Specialty Court staff, prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment professionals, law enforcement officers and other community agencies. These professionals are committed to helping addicted individuals regain control of their lives and remain in the community as sober, productive citizens. This is accomplished through judicial oversight, intensive supervision and monitoring, participation in substance abuse treatment sessions and self-help groups, frequent and random urine screens, and referrals to community service agencies and other services.” The SNAP-Ed program is one of the community services agencies being used to benefit these participants in Rowan, Bath and Montgomery Counties. The SNAP-Ed Healthy Choice for Everybody Curriculum is a seven (7) lesson series of classes that teaches the participants healthy eating habits, importance of being active, budgeting, meal planning, reading labels, food safety, cooking techniques and healthy recipes choices.  Since July 2018 when we begin the program, Rowan County has graduated four (4) drug court participants and Montgomery County two (2) participants from our Healthy Choice Classes. As yet Bath County hasn’t started a class as not enough participants to form a class, our requirements are at least 3 participants for a class to be beneficial and cost effective. 

At request of Drug Court Staff the classes were limited to just participants in Drug Court, however the participants in Rowan County stated they were very proud of the accomplishments they had made with their recovery and would not have been embarrassed for others to know they were in Drug Court and thought they would have enjoyed the classes with others.  Graduates from Montgomery County asked if they could continue to come to classes even after they graduated. His response was, “they give me something to do, keep me out of trouble, they’re fun and I learn a lot!” We offer a series of fourteen (14) lessons in the series so assured him he was welcome to continue to attend our classes.

 www.kycourts.com