INEZ — Kentucky Specialty Courts announced Sept. 4 that the Martin County program has earned certification for implementing best practices that drive successful participant outcomes.
“The Martin County Drug Court staff is proud to achieve this certification,” said Martin District Judge John T. Chafin, who volunteers to serve Drug Court. “We will continue to work diligently with participants to make their lives better one person at a time. It takes a village to get this job done, and I’m honored to work every day with our dedicated community partners and drug court team.”
The Martin County program was evaluated and certified in 2025 with the standards set out in Kentucky Supreme Court Administrative Order 2022-50. The certification is for three years.
Kentucky Specialty Courts certification efforts started in 2023 with the Supreme Court’s adoption of amended rules in the Supreme Court order. The Certification Advisory Committee that oversees the certification process is headed by the chief justice and made up of 11 members.
Other Kentucky Drug Courts that have received certification serve the jurisdictions of Breathitt, Caldwell, Campbell, Clark, Daviess, Fayette, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Oldham, Perry, Powell, Trigg, Trimble and Wolfe counties.
Specialty Courts staff continue to work with Drug Courts across the state that are seeking certification. They say the goal is for all Drug Court programs to become certified and for Kentucky to be nationally recognized for its certification process.
About Kentucky Drug Court
Kentucky Drug Court operates as part of the Department of Specialty Courts at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Drug Court was Kentucky’s first Specialty Court program. Since being introduced as a pilot program in 1996, Drug Court has grown to all 120 counties.
Drug Court serves nonviolent offenders whose primary challenges stem from substance use disorder. This court-managed program offers treatment, intensive supervision, drug testing and case management at no cost to participants. Some counties provide programs for both felony- and misdemeanor-level offenses. Those who complete the program may have their charges dismissed through diversion or be granted conditional discharge through probation.
To learn more about Specialty Courts, visit kcoj.info/SpecialtyCourts.