NOBLESVILLE — After four drunk driving arrests, Megan Pino said she thought her future would involve a long jail or prison sentence.
“I am a four-time DUI offender, and my first DUI occurred at the age of 21,” Pino said. “It was going to be either some probably long-term jail or possibly prison.”
Instead, Pino became a candidate for Hamilton County’s Drug Court, a treatment-based program designed to help repeat offenders address substance abuse issues.
“Drug Court is a treatment program,” Pino said.
“They look at your past criminal history, things that were surrounding your personal life to see, okay, is this something that this individual can change their thinking, change their behavior and be a contributing member of society or is it someone that needs to go and sit and do time?”
Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor Josh Kocher said repeat impaired driving cases are common.
“We do see a lot of repeat offenders for OWIs,” Kocher said.
He noted that while overall cases are decreasing, more drivers are now being caught under the influence of drugs, not just alcohol.
Monica Greer, who leads the county’s Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs, said jail is not always the answer.
“We want to get them help for whatever the issue is, whatever is deterring them from making good decisions, get them on a healthy, sober path,” Greer said.
Pino said the program is far from a “checkbox” requirement.
Participants must appear in court weekly, work with a recovery coach, attend outpatient therapy and call in daily to see if they must submit to a drug screening.
“It is absolutely not a checkbox program,” Pino said.
“There is so much work that goes into Drug Court and it's, you know, work on yourself, but you absolutely get out of this program what you put in.”
Greer said the program gives people a second chance.
“We don't want them to get in trouble again,” Greer said. “We want them to be healthy. We want to give them a hopeful, helpful life. And this just does that.”
The program is offered on a case-by-case basis and is not required in county court systems across Indiana.
