Information regarding the Court's hours and COVID-19 response is at the bottom of this page: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/sc

DUI/Drug Court
THURSTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

DUI/DRUG COURT PROGRAM

DUI/Drug Court Program Mission

 

The Thurston County DUI /Drug Court Program is a court-supervised, comprehensive drug treatment program available to eligible non-violent drug and property felony offenders and adult DUI offenders whose crime is related to or caused by drug and/or alcohol addiction.

 

The mission is to break the "revolving door" cycle of drug use and crime and to support participants to achieve total abstinence from drugs and alcohol, by promoting responsibility and accountability, and by teaching participants to become productive members in the community.

 

The DUI/Drug Court Program is an alternative to jail and/or prison and integrates chemical dependency and trauma treatment and community resources/ancillary services with the criminal justice system.

 

Drug Court Goals and Benefits to the Community

      -  Reduces the revolving door of crime and drugs by providing treatment to drug-addicted criminal offenders.Requires strict accountability from program participants   through frequent in-person court hearings and intensive monitoring.

      -  Requires total abstinence from illicit and illegal drugs and alcohol. 

      -  Reduces emergency room, hospital and medical costs.

      -  Reduces domestic violence.

      -  Reduces felony and misdemeanor crimes.

      -  Requires completion of education and/or vocational training.

      -  Requires employment in a "W-2" tax-paying job.

      -  Decreases use of public assistance.

      -  Eases court, jail and prison overcrowding and costs.

Drug Court Goals and Benefits to the Participant

      -  Stops criminal and other self-defeating behaviors.

      -  Breaks the cycle of addiction.

      -  Gains control of life patterns and decision.

      -  Requires accountability and responsibility for choices and action.

      -  Completes education (GED or H.S. Diploma).

      -  Obtains a job/learns a skill.

      -  Changes health and life skills.

      -  Improves family and other relationships.

      -  Changes thinking (beliefs) and behaviors.

      -  Stays out of jail and/or prison.

      -  CHANGE IS AN INSIDE JOB.

DUI Court Program Goals and Benefits to the Participant and Community

      -  Enhance public safety by reducing the number of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths related to DUI/drug offenses in the community.

      -  Require strict accountability through frequent in-person court hearings and intensive monitoring.

      -  Provide cost effective treatment services that will improve program completion rates and reduce recidivism.

      -  Promote personal responsibility.

      -  Educate the public about the benefits of providing treatment to drug/alcohol offenders to create a safer community.

      -  Reduce thinking errors, abstain from drug/alcohol use, and impaired driving behaviors.

      -  Reduce emergency room, other medical costs and the use of public assistance.

      -  Reduce court, jail and prison and overcrowding and associated costs in the criminal justice system.

      -  Require completion of education.

      -  Require W-2 tax paying employment.

      -  Develop partnerships among drug courts, public agencies, and community-based organizations to generate local support and enhance overall program effectiveness.

Progam Announcements

​Scheduled Graduations can be found under the Court News, Main Campus, Updates.


Thurston County DUI/Drug Court Program
Thurston County Courthouse, Bldg 2
2000 Lakeridge Dr SW
Olympia ,WA 98502
360.357.2482
Other Resources

Drug Court Foundation Website

National Drug Court Institute

National Center for DWI Courts

National Association for Drug Court Professionals