Article January 12, 2004 Issue

Witness for transformation

A Texas state judge tells how spirituality and healing have made drug-court work his mission and passion.

By Al Alonso

I Have Always been interested in public office. Ever since I was old enough to think about a career, I've wanted to serve other people. When I got out of law school, I had two job offers, one as a prosecuting attorney and another as a poverty lawyer in a legal-aid organization. I chose the latter because I felt that serving the poor would do the most good for the most people.

I ran twice for election as a county commissioner in Texas and lost both times, finishing as the runner-up. Not long after those elections, I became a student of Christian Science. This really turned my life in a new direction. Several years ago I ran for the office of state judge and was elected. Then I began presiding over criminal cases.

I was surprised at the number of probationers who were testing positive for drugs. Most of the people arrested for criminal acts are high on drugs or alcohol. The majority of inmates in jails and prisons are drug abusers. I learned from one United States Justice Department study that the average addicted person commits 200 undetected crimes a year. I'm not alone in believing that incarceration, in and of itself, does not help people turn their lives around, and in the long run doesn't really protect the public.

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