Drug School
If you are arrested and charged with a felony drug offense in Cook County, Illinois, depending on the nature of the drug offense and your criminal history, you may be eligible for the State’s Attorney’s Drug Abuse Program, otherwise known as “drug school.” The drug school program is managed and coordinated through TASC, Inc. (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities).
To be eligible for drug school, you must:
- Be 17 years old or older;
- Be charged with simple Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS), or drug paraphernalia charge (misdemeanor or felony);
- Have NO history of dealing drugs, violence, or any prior felony convictions; and
- Be charged in either Cook County or St. Claire County, Illinois.
Program Requirements:
Eligible participants will attend a series of 4 classes. Each class is 2.5 hours long and takes place on a weekly basis. The classes are conducted by the Gateway Foundation and take place at various County locations.
If you complete all 4 classes and do not pick up any additional criminal charges during the pendency of the program, the prosecutors will dismiss the charges, and successful participants will be eligible to apply for expungement immediately.
Statistics According to TASC.org:
- In 2013, 2,640 people participated in the drug school program in Cook and St. Claire counties.
- 90% of the participants completed the drug school program.
- Successful participants in the drug school program have less than 15% occurrence of a new arrest in the first year after completion of drug school.
- 84% of drug school participants have no new arrests within 3 years of completion of drug school.
The criminal defense attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. represent clients facing drug charges throughout Illinois including Cook County. All drug-related cases are unique and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Feel free to contact us if you are seeking professional and knowledgeable representation on a drug-related offense.