Matthew Perry is a well-known funnyman, but he also has a serious side.
He’s a long-time drug abuser who’s taken to testifying in recent years about the effectiveness of drug courts. Perry knows of which he speaks.
He testified recently before a congressional committee and said that 75 percent of those who go through drug courts remain clean after they come out of rehab and treatment.
To its credit, the Texas Panhandle criminal justice system has established a drug court, led by 181st District Judge John Board, that is contributing to the well-being of people seeking to kick their destructive drug habits. The Amarillo drug court hasn’t been around for very long, but it does draw good marks from corrections and community supervision officers who have watched it work.
Drug courts handle cases involving non-violent drug offenders. They send these offenders into rehabilitation and monitor them carefully before releasing them back into society.
Perry is a firm believer in them, and is none too bashful about saying so out loud.
It’s to his credit that he devotes time to this worthy endeavor – and affirms the good work being done in court systems such as the one that operates in the Texas Panhandle.