Cook County Probation Dept. Pressuring Drug Test Provider for Negative Test Details
The Cook County Adult Probation Department is trying to strong-arm a local drug-testing firm into providing information that could falsely imply probationers have not stayed clean.
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Diana Rickert, Manager of Media Relations
Diana@IllinoisPolicy.org or 312-607-4977
CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2011 The owner of the firm that drug tests Cook County probationers could be jailed Thursday for not turning over information about people who test negative for drugs.
A joint investigation by the Illinois Policy Institute and CBS 2 Chicago found that the Cook County Adult Probation Department is trying to strong-arm Acculab Medical Testing, Inc., into providing information that could falsely imply probationers have not stayed clean. The department has issued a court order for the owner of the firm, Warren Cooper, to turn over detailed data for probationers who test negative for drugs which flies in the face of industry, state and federal standards for drug-testing.
A report released today shows:
- Drug tests are like pregnancy tests: positive or negative. But the probation department wants details on trace amounts far below the federally accepted threshold for a positive drug test.
- Releasing such details is not an industry-accepted practice because these trace amounts can be triggered by cough medicine, aspirin or even the ingredients in a persons breakfast.
- If the department uses this information to turn negative drug tests into positive ones, the poor and disadvantaged who cannot afford a lawyer will be the victims. People who are not using drugs could go to jail.
This is an abuse of power, run amuck, said Lee Williams, who authored the Institutes report. We hope that the administrative office of the Illinois Court issues a policy banning the use of negative drug concentrations. If they do so, this problem could end today.
For a copy of the report or to arrange interviews with Williams, contact the Institutes Manager of Media Relations Diana Rickert: Diana@IllinoisPolicy.org or 312-607-4977.