Adult Treatment Court continuing to save lives

It is becoming more and more common to hear of adolescents and young adults tragically losing their lives by overdosing, more often than not, on opiates, either heroin or other concoctions of various prescription pills. But this story is not one of them. One would never know to look at her, but Susie (not her real name), who is bubbly, petite, and has brown ringlet curls falling around her round 21-year-old face, had an active heroin addiction--shooting it daily. She was originally arrested in July of 2009 for Possession of Marijuana (which she began using at age 12) and was later charged with Violation of Probation after she tested positive for opiates and failed to follow through with substance abuse treatment. She readily acknowledges that she would "Probably (be) dead ...or in the city waiting to die," if not for her participation in the Sixth Circuit Adult Treatment Court. Now grateful for the "super high accountability" she received from the ATC program, she awaits her upcoming commencement with pride. On Wednesday, April 4, at 2 p.m., the Oakland County Adult Treatment Court will conduct its 31st graduation ceremony since its inception in August of 2001. Eight graduates will be honored with a ceremony and reception to be held at the Oakland County Commissioners Auditorium, adjacent to the Sixth Judicial Circuit Courthouse, located at 1200 North Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The Adult Treatment Court (ATC) has served 400 participants to date. The ATC is an intensive four-phase program for non-violent, felony offenders who are challenged to maintain sobriety. If not for the intervention of the ATC program, these individuals would otherwise be facing a probable sentence of months, if not years, in jail or prison at great cost to the taxpayers. In fact, The National Association of Drug Court Professional (NADCP) website indicates that nationwide for every $1 invested in Drug Courts taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone. For more information on the costs savings and effectiveness of drug courts, visit NADCP @ http://www.nadcp.org. Essentially, the ATC program is designed to include extremely close judicial and community supervision, intense substance abuse treatment, frequent and random substance abuse testing, and a long-term commitment to program requirements. Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Joan E. Young, who presides over the male participants, and Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Colleen O'Brien, who presides over the female participants, lead the ATC team. Additional members of the team include a defense attorney, two MDOC probation officers (one for each gender), a program supervisor, and various treatment providers, including a member of Oakland County's Common Ground. While the ATC meets bi-weekly for court sessions, the team is in daily contact intensely monitoring and intervening with program participants. The Adult Treatment Court further expects participants to find and maintain employment or until they are able to obtain work to complete community service weekly, pay court costs, including restitution to the victims of their crimes, and, of course, take responsibility for the support of their children. Notably, the recidivism rates for graduates of the Adult Treatment Court are 37% lower than felons who never participate in the Adult Treatment Court. In a recent message to the Legislature on Public Safety, Governor Snyder indicated that addressing the need for a "comprehensive system of 'smart justice' that recognizes the connection between enforcement, prevention, and economic opportunity" is the key to public safety and economic growth in Michigan. The Governor added: "Drug treatment courts address the revolving-door cycle in which drug and alcohol offenders move in and out of the justice system." Governor Snyder proposes a legislative appropriation of $1.25 million to expand drug court programming in Oakland as well as, Genesee, Wayne, and Saginaw counties. Published: Mon, Apr 2, 2012

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