Will County Prosecutor Uses Experience To Lobby For Drug Courts
WASHINGTON (CBS) -- In Washington, D.C., Tuesday, a prosecutor from Will County will be lobbying for more money for drug court programs around the country – and she knows of what she speaks.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, Elizabeth Johnson went through the Drug Court program in Will County when she was 18. She had been using marijuana and drinking alcohol.
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The court's every-week drug testing and mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meeting attendance helped her turn her life around, and now she is a prosecutor working for the Will County State's Attorney's office.
She is now urging U.S. Senators to keep drug courts going, saying it definitely worked for her.
"It was definitely a wake-up call; I was scared out of my mind," she said.
Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow says drug court makes a difference, and can save taxpayers money.
"Every dollar you put into a drug court, you're probably saving $10 to $20 in remedial costs down the road," he said.
