Drug Court Information

Ellis County Drug Court was formed in 2018 and was modeled after the national guidelines of treatment courts. The goal is to combat substance abuse addiction while having an alternative to jail for drug court participants. Drug court participants complete an intensive regimen of treatment, supervision through Northwest Kansas Community Corrections, random drug testing, and attendance in court in front of the drug court judge in order to not only beat their addiction, but have the support to maintain their sobriety and not be a drain on community resources. 

Please feel free to review the drug court handbook for any answers to questions you may have.

Drug Court Participant Handbook

Participation

Ellis County Drug Court participants must complete multiple requirements in a series of five phases lasting a minimum of 15 months. Ellis County Drug Court meets every other week on Thursdays, led by Chief District Court Judge Glenn Braun. When a participant completes the requirements of drug court, a graduation is held and the participants are given not only recognition but the foundation and support to long term recovery.

Drug Court Team

The multi-jurisdictional drug court team consists of the following professionals:

  • Honorable Glenn Braun – Drug Court Judge 
  • Teresa Greenwood – Drug Court Coordinator
  • Aaron Cunningham – Ellis County Attorney’s Office 
  • Curtis Brown – Defense Attorney 
  • Erin Geist, Nicki Deines and Trevor Roa – Northwest Kansas Community Corrections 
  • Detective Brian Shannon – Ellis County Sheriff’s Office 
  • Detective Chris Hancock – Hays Police Department 
  • Jobeth Haselhorst – Smoky Hill Foundation 
  • Amy Bird – High Plains Mental Health 
  • Nick Eiden – Drug Court Case Manager

Qualifications

To qualify for drug court, an individual must meet the following criteria:

  • 18 years or older
  • Felony conviction in Ellis County
  • Ellis County resident
  • Score high risks/high needs on LSI-R (risk needs assessment)
  • High Probability of a Substance Abuse Problem
  • No convictions for sex crimes or registered sex offenders
  • No recent violent person felonies
  • No drug distributors for profit
  • Acceptance to the program by the drug court team