04/26/2007

Drug courts get reviewed

By VICTOR SKINNER

vskinner@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Local court officials soon will learn how two of their rehabilitative drug-court programs are working and receive ideas that could better the programs.

A pair of former court administrators recently evaluated the 13th Circuit Court's juvenile drug and family dependency court programs as part of a random, state-mandated review.

The administrators, through a state contract, spent several days last week interviewing about 30 court staff and service providers, reviewing case files and observing court hearings to ensure the courts meet state and federal laws.

"The goal is to look at statutory compliance and offer suggestions to hopefully improve and enhance both programs,” said Family Court Judge David Stowe.

Eight courts are under review this year and represent a cross-section of drug-related courts that rely, in part, on state grants, said Gary Secor, a child court planning specialist who monitors the grants.

The two-member review team spent the last four months assessing courts for compliance with state drug court laws, grant-related issues and federal laws and regulations dealing with client confidentiality.

Locally, the juvenile drug court program works to rehabilitate about 15 to 20 teens per year with substance abuse-related criminal problems. The program is designed to emphasize treatment and encouragement over punishment.

At the end of the program, graduates attend a ceremony where they receive a plaque and a new start, said Mike Sullivan, a family therapist that works with the troubled teens.

"I think to sort of have an outside consultant, it will highlight what this program is doing that is constructive and point a direction out that can be more effective,” said Sullivan, among those interviewed during the review.

The local family dependency court "relates to abuse and neglect cases that involve substance abuse by a parent where a child has been removed from the home,” Stowe said. The program is entering its second year and has enrolled up to five participants at a time.

Formal results and recommendations of last week's review are expected to be available within the next few weeks.