DUI Court Program gets extra state grant

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An extra state grant has been awarded to the Cobb County State Court DUI Court Program with approval of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 11.

The $12,260 is from the Georgia Accountability Court Funding Committee, according to Cobb State Court Judge Eric Brewton, for substance abuse treatment and treatment curriculum.

There will be no additional impact on the general fund.

The Cobb County DUI Court Program (“DUI Court”) began operation as a pilot program on Oct. 1, 2008.

DUI Court is Cobb State Court’s voluntary, post-conviction, intensive probation program for multiple DUI offenders.

Participants are required to attend group and individual treatment sessions several times a week, appear for random alcohol/drug screens at least twice weekly and attend status hearings once or twice a month depending on their length of time in the program.

The Georgia Accountability Court Funding Committee previously awarded the DUI Court a $55,832 grant for July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, with a required matching amount from Cobb of 10 percent equal to $6,204.

For this $12,260 supplemental award, Cobb’s matching requirement of $1,362.22 will be met through an existing position.

“We are primarily a self-funded program, and the matching revenue will continue to be met through the salary of the DUI Court Coordinator position, which is paid through the General Fund,” Brewton said in a Dec. 11 memo.

Information: CobbCounty.org/ courts/state-court/administration/courts