Judge Daniel Creitz admits he was wrong about the 31st Judicial Districts Drug Court, an alternative to prison that requires intensive monitoring for those convicted or charged with drug-related crimes.
When then-sheriff Tom Williams, now a county commissioner, asked him in 2011 to introduce the program, Creitz wanted to say no. It would require a lot more work, especially for underpaid and overworked district court and community corrections staff. It meant more drug testing and more intensive monitoring, which demand time and money.
My problem with Drug Court wasnt that it wasnt a good program. It was that I was going to put this burden on my staff, Cretiz told Iola Area Chamber of Commerce members at an educational breakfast Thursday. But they bought into it and they love the program.
