COURTS

Michigan Supreme Court touts success of treatment courts in new report

Carolyn Muyskens
The Holland Sentinel

LANSING — The state's approximately 200 treatment courts are working to help keep people out of the criminal justice system, according to the most recent data released by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Graduates of adult drug court programs were nearly two times less likely to be convicted of another offense within three years of entering the drug court program compared to people convicted of similar offenses who do not enter a drug court program.

Sobriety court graduates were more than three times less likely to reoffend and mental health court graduates were two to three times less likely to reoffend.

Ottawa County 58th District Judge Craig Bunce congratulates graduate James Morrow during the West Michigan Regional Veterans' Treatment Court graduation ceremony on Monday, June 10, 2019.

Treatment courts are an alternative to traditional prison, jail or probation sentences for people convicted of non-violent crimes. These highly structured programs are designed to address the issues that are causing crime, such as substance use and mental illness, and include frequent court appointments and drug and alcohol testing regimens. 

Allegan County's 57th District Mental Health Treatment Court was highlighted by the Michigan Supreme Court on Thursday in a press conference announcing the annual report's results. 

Run by Judge Joseph Skocelas, Allegan County's mental health court typically takes participants about one year to finish. To successfully graduate the program, participants must show up for regular court appearances, check in with therapists, consistently take their medication and abstain from drugs and alcohol. 

"The shared goal of both the court and our community mental health agency is to engage individuals with serious mental illnesses in treatment, as opposed to only involvement with the legal system," said Mark Witte, executive director of Allegan County Community Mental Health.

"As we know, involvement with the legal system can carry potentially lifelong consequences, especially when criminal records affect housing options, employment, access to health care, all of which can exacerbate the very mental illnesses for which we're trying to achieve recovery and treatment. 

"Likewise, recidivism rates are more likely when someone's mental health needs are unmet. So the mental health treatment court offers support and access to services and resources that otherwise would not likely be an option without structured interventions." 

Ottawa County 58th District Judge Susan Jonas presents Jonathon Norris and James Morrow with graduation certificates during the West Michigan Regional Veterans' Treatment Court graduation ceremony on Monday, June 10, 2019.

Ottawa County, too, has multiple treatment courts, including 20th Circuit Court's Ottawa County Recovery Court, the 58th District Court's three Sobriety Treatment Courts based in Holland, Hudsonville and Grand Haven, and a 58th District Court Mental Health Treatment Court. 

In the 58th District Court's annual report for 2020, the court's sobriety treatment courts reported successfully graduating 71 participants and only four unsuccessful discharges. Unsuccessful discharges occur if a participant commits a new offense, consistently fails to meet the program requirements or withdraws from the program. 

Statewide, treatment courts successfully graduate about two-thirds of those who participate. 

Only 6 percent of 58th District Court drug court graduates reoffended within three years of graduation, compared to 18 percent of non-drug court graduates that shared similar demographics, such as age, gender and type of criminal offense. 

More:Holland sobriety court nationally recognized

More:Sobriety Court arrives in Grand Haven

More:Allegan drug treatment court counts successes day by day

"As you might imagine, as a chief assistant prosecutor, I have no problem recommending jail as part of a sentence," said David Wallace, chief assistant prosecutor for Huron County, during the Thursday press conference. "For years prior to the existence of a sobriety court, I would do just that. If that person came back because of a new violation or new crime, I would recommend more jail, thinking, now we'll really show them, we'll punish them and that person will learn and change his or her behavior. 

"But I was wrong. It didn't work because we weren't addressing the underlying issue, the person's dependency to that substance or the alcohol or some other drug. Jail is an important tool for public safety. But it can only go so far. And that's why we have sobriety courts, to address the underlying issues in a comprehensive manner." 

— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens