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Judge Mahoney tells council Hartford County drug court graduates 40 participants; court reports 10% recidivism among graduates
Summary
Judge Mahoney explained Hartford County’s problem‑solving drug court: voluntary referrals, a four‑phase 12–18 month program with clinical evaluation and wraparound services; he said the circuit court has graduated 40 people in six years and reported a 10% recidivism rate for graduates, while noting challenges in housing, transportation and treatment availability.
Havre de Grace — Judge Mahoney briefed the Havre de Grace City Council on the Hartford County Circuit Court drug court program on Nov. 4, describing it as a voluntary, multi‑agency, treatment-centered alternative to traditional prosecution for eligible, nonviolent defendants with substance use disorders.
Mahoney said the court’s model relies on a dedicated team — prosecutors, defense counsel, probation agents, health professionals, treatment providers and law-enforcement partners — to identify high‑risk repeat offenders whose criminal behavior is driven largely by addiction. He described the program as a four‑phase plan that typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete and emphasized the individualized clinical review used to select participants.
"As we stand here right now with 40 graduates, the recidivism rate of my court is 10 percent," Mahoney said, citing program outcomes to argue that drug courts reduce reoffending and save public money versus incarceration. He also described barriers participants face: securing stable housing, reliable transportation to court and treatment, and employer reluctance to hire people with convictions.
Council members asked about probation length and program costs. Mahoney said participants are on probation during the program (usually one to 18 months), and he typically adds an extra year of probation after successful graduation; he said treatment costs are often covered by health insurance or scholarships from partner providers and that the criminal-justice savings helped justify the grant-funded staff. The court’s drug-court coordinator, Meg Kaiser, was introduced as the program’s central case manager.
Mahoney said the program tracks results for state grant reporting and that the court is forming an alumni organization to support graduates. He cautioned that drug court is not a panacea — he noted several program losses and that some graduates later died of overdoses — but said the available evidence supports drug‑court models for qualified participants.
Next steps: Council members were encouraged to share program information with constituents and local employers and to help connect the court with workforce partners to improve employment outcomes for participants.
