A new Las Vegas court for young adults 18 to 24 who have serious drug problems gives them a chance to turn their lives around, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported Sept. 19.

Youth Offender Court, or “YO Court,” is unusual in that participants don't qualify because of drug charges. Instead, they are referred from traffic court, often because of fines that go unpaid because of their drug habits. Many have failed other treatment programs.

The court was created in April by Judge Cedric Kearns, who had already launched a successful adult drug court serving repeat offenders. He started “YO Court” because he wanted to intervene earlier in the cycle. 

Similar to other drug courts, participants report to Kearns in court every other week. He rewards those who do well with praise and incentives, and sanctions those who do not with electronic monitoring and jail time. 

Unlike most drug court judges, Kearns goes a step further and stops by their homes on a regular basis to check on their progress. “I truly believe they know I care about their success, but they also know I won't play around if they're playing around,” Kerns said.

He also takes their stage of recovery into account. “I don't treat them all equally, I treat them all fairly. Some have fried their brains more than others. Some of them are in different stages of addiction, and you have to treat those differently.”

His stern but caring approach seems to be effective. Participant Sarah Lang, in recovery from heroin abuse, said, “When I go stand in front of him, I feel like I'm standing in front of my dad, and my father is disappointed in what I've done.”

Lang, 24, had used drugs since age 13 and overdosed several times. She recently celebrated 150 days sober. “There's been so many times that I should not have woken up,” she said. “If it wasn't for Judge Kerns, I wouldn't have had a second chance.”

Even participants who aren't doing well seem to see YO Court as a source of hope. Emily Hoeffner, 19, was jailed by Kearns twice in the past month.

“Some people don't get another chance,” Hoeffner said. “They either OD, lose everything, end up on the streets or end up in prison. I get another chance.”