Eligible participants include offenders who have the following characteristics:

• U.S. Citizenship
• 17 years of age or older
• An attorney of record
• Has a diagnosis of Substance Dependence

Participating offenders include those who have one of the following types of cases pending:

• Possession of a controlled substance
• Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
• Sale of controlled substance
• Attempt to possess by fraud
• Theft, property crimes, and nonviolent offenses
• Probation revocations
• Second or subsequent DUI (Oconee County only)

Factors that exclude individuals from the Felony Drug Court Program are:

• Present charge and/or prior conviction of sex offense(s)
• Present charge and/or prior conviction of violent felony offense(s)
• Severe mental health symptoms or developmental issues
• Manufacturing, production, trafficking, or cultivation of drugs

Meeting the basic qualifications does not automatically place an individual in drug court. To be accepted into the Felony Drug Court Program, participants must be approved both legally by the Office of the District Attorney and clinically by the drug court coordinator. To start this process, individuals should talk to their public defender or defense attorney of record about drug court as a viable option.