[Letter to the Editor] Durham Should Fund Family Drug Treatment Court

This year, a team from the Durham County Public Defender's Office sought funding from opioid settlement funds for a Family Drug Treatment Court.

(Editor's Note: In the interest of full disclosure, my wife - Catherine Constantinou - helped lead the effort to secure this funding. - Wes Platt)

Initially, the advisory committee considering applications had recommended that the group receive the funding.

Then, after county officials intervened, their recommendations changed as County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs indicated that the project should be covered in the annual budget through the county's general fund.

During an advisory committee community meeting on Thursday, Jacobs assured those in attendance that Family Drug Treatment Court will be funded when commissioners vote this month on the county budget.

That may be true, but Southpoint Access hasn't yet seen a proposed budget that includes a line item for Family Drug Treatment Court. Retired District Court Judge Nancy Gordon criticized the course change during the community meeting. She offers elaboration about her concerns in the following letter to the editor: