A new adult drug court program began this week that includes intense supervision of convicted felons and the threat of prison if the rules are violated.

The drug court offers a second chance for those who have failed the Proposition 36 drug program but have a strong desire to get treatment and turn their lives around, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Riley said Friday.

Riley said the program is designed to get people off drugs, cut crime and reduce the population of an overcrowded prison system.

Proposition 36 was a statewide initiative voters approved nearly seven years ago that provided counseling and other programs for those charged with certain drug crimes instead of sending them to jail or prison.

The new court on the third floor of the county Hall of Justice in Ventura initially will be limited to 25 convicted felons, who will be supervised by two probation officers, said the judge. Participants are expected to be in the program for about 36 months, the length of a typical probation in a drug case.

The court had its first session on Thursday. It will be held every Thursday under Superior Court Presiding Judge Colleen Toy White, who was unavailable for comment.

The drug court team includes the two probation officers, a prosecutor, an attorney from the Public Defender's Office and a representative from the county's Behavioral Health Department.

Private attorneys can represent clients convicted of non-violent, drug-related offenses or those convicted of non-drug offenses who have a history of drug use.

Those who complete the program will have their sentence vacated, according to program officials.

Much of the funding, about $325,000 a year, will come from the state. Ventura County was required to pick up 20 percent of the cost.

Participants initially will see someone from the probation department at least twice a week. There will also be random drug tests, Riley said.

She said one big criticism of Proposition 36 is that it requires those who have violated probation three times to be sent to jail.

The new program gives judges more sentencing options from a few days in jail to years in prison, according to Riley.

"Whatever seems appropriate to get their attention and motivate them," Riley said. "All of these people will have a prison sentence hanging over their heads."