Local Judge Wants More Meth Treatment 01/12/2006 Sioux Falls, South Dakota The Chief Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court says methamphetamine drugs are becoming the root cause of many crimes. As many as 75 percent of the crimes brought before circuit court judges in Minnehaha County are related to meth use.
On 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Neiles's court schedule this week, 18 of the 30 trials were directly or indirectly related to methamphetamine use.
“It dominates the cases we handle here in the second circuit,” Neiles says.
In his 20 years on the bench, Neiles has seen the drug go from practically unknown to a major factor in the majority of the crimes he sees.
“Burglary cases. Grand theft - where they've stolen something and they pawn it to try to get more money to try and buy drugs - it's real, real typical,” Neiles says.
The Governor is proposing a bill that could limit how meth-makers get their supplies, which Neiles believes would be helpful. But in his eyes, the solution for meth users lies in the treatment programs.
“You can't just send them through a 30-day outpatient program and expect they'll be able to stay clean and sober,” he says.
He says judges want to see more long-term treatment programs because simply locking users up doesn't change their behavior.
And changing behavior is the first step in slowing the biggest drug problem Neiles has seen.
“With any other drug, it hasn't been as serious as it has with meth,” Neiles says.
The Keystone Treatment Program has a longer meth program funded on a grant by the federal government. Someone convicted of meth possession can be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Lou Raguse
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