Knox County General Sessions Court has a program which provides state funded alcohol and drug addiction inpatient treatment for indigent participants who have been convicted of a second or subsequent DUI offense or for driving while their license is canceled, suspended or revoked when the original suspension or revocation was based on a previous DUI offense. Recently, the program has expanded to cover a wide range of treatment modalities such as outpatient, halfway house, residential rehabilitation and residential detoxification. The Sessions Court Judge will, upon conviction, determine if the defendant meets the state established criterion and can benefit from up to 28 days of inpatient treatment. If that determination is made, the Judge will enter an ORDER directing the defendant to undergo as assessment and receive inpatient treatment as appropriate at the CenterPointe Adult Services Center. The defendant signs a medical records confidential information release form and is given copies of the Court Order, the medical records release form and instructions to contact CenterPointe Adult Services. The Court Order, release form and a copy of the warrant are faxed to the Tennessee Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. The Bureau of A & D reviews the case paperwork and, if they concur that all criterion has been satisfied, assigns a funding number to pay for inpatient treatment. The Sessions Court and CenterPointe Adult Services are notified by fax that state funded treatment is approved. Upon completion of the inpatient treatment program, any remaining portion of the defendant’s sentence will be served in the county detention facility.
Commencing in 2007, ADAT treatment will be available to indigent persons convicted of a DUI first offense. It is anticipated that due to the short duration of incarceration possible for a DUI first offense conviction, that more offenders will be treated on an outpatient basis in lieu of residential rehabilitation.
Revenue for the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Fund is derived from the sale of vehicles forfeited under the authority of Tenn. Code Ann. 55-10-403(k) and an ADAT treatment fee of $100.00 that is assessed for each conviction for a violation of Tenn. Code Ann. 55-10-401. Authorization to enter the program is base strictly upon the availability of funds.
Questions concerning this program contact:
Bob Swan
Judicial Clerk /Mediation Director
Phone: (865) 215-2146
Fax: (865) 215-3566
E-mail: bob.swan@knoxcounty.org
