Each and every day you interact with individuals in our community whose lives have been impacted by substance use and mental health challenges. Many times, those with lived experience with these challenges find themselves involved in criminal activity that leads to arrest and time spent in the Lenawee County Jail.
Traditionally, these offenses were managed within the standard judicial system, which frequently led to lengthy incarceration, family separations, increased interactions with law enforcement, and cycles of joblessness and homelessness. This not only affects the individual offender, but their entire family, and our community as a whole.
To try to stop the cycle, Michigan has created specialty court programs. These programs have transformed the approach to such cases, dramatically reducing repeat offenses and promoting lasting recovery.
Lenawee County is privileged to have four specialty court programs: Sobriety Court, Drug/Recovery Court, Enhanced Treatment Court, and Veterans Court. The purpose of these specialty courts is to allow offenders whose crimes stem from a root problem of substance use or mental health disorders to have a chance to improve their lives and become healthy members of our community again.
These specialty courts are treatment-based programs, rather than incarceration-based, and have proven to be very successful in reducing recidivism, relapse, and jail costs. Lenawee County, in particular, has very successful specialty courts. Recently, our court administrators announced the 2023 recidivism rates, which are measured three years after admission into the program since 2015.
| Court | New Convictions of Graduates (Lenawee County) | New Convictions of Graduates (Statewide) |
|---|
| Sobriety Court | 0% | 6% |
| Enhanced Treatment Court | 0% | 21% |
| Drug/Recovery Court | 17% | 48% |
| Veterans Court | *new court; no graduates yet |
These programs are very intense, and take years to complete. When detained offenders meet certain criteria, they are offered the opportunity for placement into one of these specialty courts. Participants receive group and individual counseling, participate in other treatment programming, and regularly meet with their probation officer and Judge. As they work their way through the programs, they move through a set of phases by meeting requirements established by the best practices for Treatment Courts, which can include restitution payments and community service. Most graduates give credit to the programs for not only saving their lives, but setting them on a new path, with positive growth in all areas of their lives.
Our specialty courts were awarded new grants this year to continue the great work they are doing in our community and for our residents. Grants awarded include:
- Sobriety Court - $107,000
- Enhanced Treatment Court - $66,910
- Drug/Recovery Court - $351,000
- $44,000 from the State Court Administrative Office Edward Bryne Justice Assistance Grant
- $7,000 from the State Court Administrative Office Drug Court Grant Program
- $300,000 from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Veterans Treatment Court - $8,5000
In addition, Lenawee County is working on other initiatives to address the systemic issues within our community. Earlier this year, Lenawee County was accepted to attend a PEER Opportunity Exchange in Yavapai County, Arizona, which included information on the Yavapai Justice Collaborative. Three members of Lenawee County government traveled to Arizona to gather information on this unique approach which brought their Sheriff, behavioral health, inmate services, Prosecuting Attorney, health providers, Chief Judge, probation, and education experts to establish an integrated collaborative.
Also this year, Lenawee County has been accepted to the HEALing Communities Study Data Dashboard Learning Collaborative with Addiction Policy Forum, which is a six-month program to identify and create a data dashboard for Lenawee County. This dashboard will help us identify trends, evaluate the effectiveness of existing policies, and inform the development of targeted interventions for Lenawee County.
While the need is great, the hard work continues to serve our community. We have applied for other grants for additional programs, tools, and resources to address this critical issue in our community. Substance Use Disorder has a significant impact on both individuals and their families, and we look forward to collaborating with fellow community leaders in shaping a strategic, integrated approach that will improve both criminal justice and behavior health outcomes for Lenawee County.