Sobriety Court Foundation holds inaugural breakfast

By Roberta M. Gubbins Legal News The Ingham County Sobriety Court Foundation, formed in 2007, held its inaugural breakfast early on October 26th at the Country Club of Lansing, Lansing Mi. President of the Foundation, John Nicolucci, a member of the Foundation Board since 2007, welcomed and thanked everyone for "helping us watch the sunrise this morning and support our Ingham County Sobriety Courts." Sobriety Court is comprised of three courts, Nicolucci explained. They are 54A Sobriety Court, City of Lansing, Hon. Louise Alderson presiding, 55th Sobriety court, Hon. Donald Allen presiding and the Family Dependency Court, Hon. Janelle Lawless presiding. Hon. Rosemarie Aquilina, then 55th District Court judge and now 30th Circuit Court judge, established the Foundation to support the local sobriety courts in meeting the needs of their participants. "We use the team approach to address the issues of sobriety," said Judge Alderson, "and we had our first participants in 2006. We established ourselves as a felony court meaning we take all even those with multiple drunk driving offenses." "We have had 105 participants, with 63 graduates and 32 who are currently in our program. It is a two-year program. So far, we have had only one participant be re-arrested for a drinking offense." The program has saved over a million dollars of jail-bed space. Participants get back into employment and return to their families and the community. "Our graduates tell us that 'this court has saved my life.'" The 55th District Court Sobriety Court is led by Judge Allen, who spoke of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance program to which he refers law students or lawyers who come before him with a drinking offenses urging those in the room who knew anyone needing help to consider the services. 'The jurisdiction of 55th District Court is everything in Ingham County outside of Lansing and East Lansing," he said. "We have graduated 266 men and women. The recidivism rates for our graduates are considerably lower. Eighty-one percent of our graduates have not been re-arrested compared to the national average of 75%." Sobriety courts enhance public safety and save the taxpayers money, he concluded. Judge Lawless oversees the Family Dependency Treatment Court in Circuit Court, which is a family drug court. "The victims that we deal with are children. Our court targets parents who are substance abusers, which can cause them to neglect or abuse their children. We deal with any kind of substance, not just alcohol. Our goal is make sure that the children in our community are safe and to establish permanence for the family." Once the person is sober and clean, she explained, there are still problems such as lack of housing, few parenting skills, employment issues and other problems. Since the program began in 2005, 63 parents have participated with 139 children served. This represents over 19,000 days of children not being placed in foster care and over $300,000 dollars saved. "However, she said, "I am proudest of the smallest people in the program--those babies that have been born drug-free. That is priceless." When Shelby, a Sobriety Court graduate, spoke of her experiences in the program, cups did not clink and forks did not ping as they hit the plate. The room was silent while everyone listened. "In the beginning," she said, "I had a choice to go through sobriety court or be in jail for 90 days. I wanted the program. My life has drastically changed. Without this program I would not be here today." Sheri Jones, WLNSTV 6 anchor and master of ceremonies, closed the event urging all to contribute to the Foundation to "encourage and expand the court's effectiveness, to make it sustainable, to generate local support and to enhance our sobriety courts." Sponsors for the breakfast included Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, Prevention & Training Services, House Arrest Services, and Public Affairs Associates. Published: Mon, Nov 5, 2012

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