The Yolo Superior Court will hold a court proceeding and formal ceremony Monday for graduates of Felony Probation Drug Court. Judge Janet Gaard will preside over the ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m. in Dept. 4 of the courthouse, 725 Court St. in Woodland.

Felony Probation Drug Court has been operating in Yolo County since 1999. The adult drug court is for prison-bound defendants who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes and have significant drug and alcohol addictions, offering them an opportunity to be successful in treatment instead of going to prison. The participants are under strict monitoring with comprehensive supervision.

Three men and one woman are scheduled to graduate, potentially saving taxpayers up to $720,096, based on the annual cost of $45,006.00 for incarceration as determined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s 2010-11 budget. Collectively, the graduates were subject to suspended sentences of 16 years in state prison.

All graduates have successfully completed a local intensive residential treatment program, have a minimum of 18 months of sobriety, are gainfully employed, have committed no new crimes and have satisfied all other Felony Probation Drug Court requirements.

“This successful program reflects a strong collaboration between local governmental agencies and treatment providers to make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Gaard, who presides over the drug court calendar.

Representatives from these agencies and providers will attend the ceremony to offer their congratulations to the graduates, as will several of the program’s past graduates.

“The graduates are working to become productive and responsible members of the community. Through hard work and dedication, each graduate has turned his or her life around to obtain sobriety,” added Leanna Libolt, Yolo County deputy probation officer and coordinator of the drug court program.

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