Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell is banking on his tough-on-crime stance to help propel him to the governor’s mansion in 2009, but he made an unusual trip to Charlottesville on September 25 to address the local drug court program, the state’s second oldest and among the most effective at reducing recidivism.
The program was almost cut from the state budget last year and will surely be under heavy scrutiny again, considering the shortfall of up to $2.9 billion. McDonnell spoke highly of the program, lauding its cost effectiveness—about four times cheaper than locking up an inmate for a year. “I don’t think there’s anything better we can do,” said McDonnell, and Drug Court staff gave him a banner that proclaimed “Drug Court Works!!!”
|
“I’ve always been favorably impressed with the drug courts,” says Bob McDonnell, state Attorney General, who stops shy of endorsing it as a statewide program until a Supreme Court study is finishined. “There’s going to be a very tough budget cycle.” |
However, it was the program’s 194th graduate, Wesley S. Gibson, Jr., who stole the show, regaling the court room with a moving story that involved regaining his father’s respect by repurchasing a drag racing car his father built, a moment that was a turning point in his recovery: “I’m already in the process of making one of my dreams come true.”
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.
