State grant expected to bolster Westmoreland County's drug court program

A state grant approved Thursday is expected to help expand Westmoreland County’s drug court program.

Officials said the two-year $50,712 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will pay for enhanced drug testing of participants that will improve supervision and monitoring efforts of the four-year-old program.

“This will help us in our supervision and it will benefit them. It’s the best practice to have random and inconsistent drug testing,” said Eric Lydig, deputy director of the county’s adult probation office, which oversees drug court operations.

Drug court has operated in Westmoreland County since 2015 and has 60 participants who are monitored by two Common Pleas judges. In some cases, the drug court program serves as a prison diversionary program while providing treatment and aftercare for criminal defendants addicted to drugs.

The program in 2019 is expected to operate with $470,000 in grant funds, said county finance director Meagan McCandless.

Drug court participants are tested randomly at least twice a week during regular weekday business hours. The grant will pay for additional drug testing that also can be conducted at night or on weekends, Lydig said.

County commissioners said the grant will enable the drug court program to continue its work and expand services.

“It’s been a very successful and important program, and we’re always looking for ways to do that,” Commissioner Ted Kopas said.

Commissioner Gina Cerilli said while the grant will not increase the capacity of drug court, officials are open to seeking out additional funds to make the program available to more participants.