NORWICH – An Oxford woman who was allowed in a treatment program instead of state prison tested positive for cocaine use and now faces several years behind bars.

On Monday, 40-year-old Kara L. Conklin, who is incarcerated at the Chenango County Correctional Facility, appeared before Judge W. Howard Sullivan and was granted an extension in the case because her public defender, Alan Gordon, was unavailable.

Conklin pleaded guilty to third degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance on Nov. 15 and was granted judicial diversion by Sullivan, which offered her a chance to participate in Chenango County Treatment Court for one year. If she completed the program successfully, the charge against her would’ve been reduced.

Treatment Court is an intensive 12-month drug and alcohol rehabilitation program requiring regular meetings, random drug testing and strict monitoring. Participants typically avoid sentences that would have placed them behind bars and violators are often incarcerated.