DRUG COURT PROGRAM OFFERS STRUCTURE NEEDED BY MANY FENDING OFF ADDICTIONS

HOLLAND -- The holidays are hell for the newly sober.

Everyone else has permission to "tie one on," and you're left to pioneer
some new way to celebrate.

District Judge Susan Jonas and a team of 10 professionals who advise her
"drug court," the first of its kind in Ottawa County, know this is
difficult. A few even walk this arduous road themselves.

That's why they were in a particularly festive mood when drug court
convened Wednesday morning.

It wasn't all joy. There were three holiday relapses that resulted in jail
time among the 24 remaining participants, most of whom are problem
drinkers. Four others who were part of the pilot program that started seven
months ago are gone -- two because of new felony charges, one who said he
preferred jail time because it was easier, and one just disappeared.

But three of the participants had received sufficient days of sobriety to
advance to the next phase of the drug court program, which takes 16 to 24
months to complete.

Those milestones were celebrated by the entire court with applause.
Offenders, who otherwise might be sobering up in jail in the traditional
court system, instead walked away with a hearty handshake from Jonas, a
certificate of accomplishment and a small gift of a notebook, a pen or a
coffee mug.

"This is therapeutic jurisprudence," said Charlie Donaldson, of West Shore
Counseling Services, a member of Jonas' drug court team. "I think it's
going to be a revolution in how courts operate, giving offenders
encouragement and rewards, as well as imposing sanctions."

The nation's first drug court -- an innovation spearheaded by Janet Reno,
attorney general under President Clinton -- opened in Florida in 1989.

Since then, more than 1,000 drug courts have convened nationwide, about 40
of them in Michigan.

The mandatory counseling, super-intensive supervision, daily drug testing
and bi-monthly court appearances that are pillars of the drug court program
provide the support and structure some people living with addictions need
to turn the corner on a way of life that offers more freedom and more fun,
Donaldson said.

Fewer recidivists

Research shows that recidivism among offenders who have been through drug
court is half the rate of those whose drug-related offenses have been
punished with jail time, probation or intensive supervision.

The driving forces behind Jonas' drug court were Holland District Court
probation officers Alma Valenzuela and Cathy Shaw, who attended a national
conference 1 1/2 years ago. Valenzuela said the court already has good
programs, but she and Shaw believed "a holistic approach" would be helpful
for some probationers.

Jonas, a former teacher, thought the approach had real merit for helping
offenders change their thoughts and behaviors and was eager to give it a try.

The court was able to obtain a federal grant for training, but had no
additional resources available to start the time-intensive program.

They decided to do it, anyway.

"It is the tremendous dedication of the drug court team that made this a
reality," Jonas said. "They were willing to work very, very hard with no
additional remuneration to make this non-adversarial approach available to
people. I think we're all finding it very satisfying because it's not
exclusively punitive, and we sustained contact with people and get to see
them make progress."

The team includes a representative from the prosecutor's office and law
enforcement, a public defender, treatment specialists, probation case
managers, and the county's planning and grants director, who is tracking
the statistics. They all meet an hour before the drug court convenes to
weigh in on each probationer's case.

Most of the offenders have a substance abuse-related charge punishable by
at least one year in jail hanging over their heads.

Team discussions often are spirited. On Wednesday, they had a lengthy,
tense discussion over participant Bridgette, whom several agreed continues
to struggle with being honest about her addiction with herself, or her
treatment specialist and probation officer.

Some argued Bridgette should be kicked out of the program. Others advocated
jail time, but not dismissal.

From the bench, Jonas sent the woman to jail with a piercing warning about
"manipulating people," but will allow her to continue in drug court.

Other participants saw a softer side of the judge. Jonas gave greeting
cards to one participant who had gotten married and another who had become
father to a son since they came before her two weeks ago.

Jonas acknowledged all offenders who brought family members with them to
court, taking special note of participant Juan's daughter, Jordan, who
shares the name of one of Jonas' own daughters.

Applause, applause

Drug court on Wednesday began with a robust round of applause for attorney
Don Hann, who represents public defenders on the team, for achieving 19
years of involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous.

Now, he helps people like Ray.

"I've lived in Holland my whole life, and this is the first time I feel
like I'm being given a chance by people who really do care what happens to
me," said Ray, 47. "I even thought of myself as a lost cause."

Ray says his bad attitude, drinking problem and propensity to fight have
brought him before Jonas many times over the years. He has been charged
with 32 misdemeanors and nine felonies, and pulled prison time, but said he
somehow never learned skills to stay sober outside of a cell -- until now.

"I used to stand before the judge wishing I could give her a broom," Ray
said. "Now I want to give her a rose."

Ray, the father of six, said his newly won sobriety already has resulted in
landing a better-paying job that's allowing him to keep current on payments
for court costs and counseling. He says his children and friends tell him
he looks healthier, happier and more confident.

There is one downside, however, Ray told Jonas. He has dropped more than 30
pounds since he quit drinking and no longer has the physique to play Santa
Claus at his family's Christmas party.

"We've become like a swim team, with this big group of sponsors that have a
profound awareness of the recovery process," said Sandy, who needs to come
before the judge only monthly now, but comes every time drug court convenes
to support the others, some of whom have become friends.

"Drug court is giving us the structure and support we need to emerge from
this hardship," Sandy said.

Paying the price

Probationers are responsible for paying their own individual and group
counseling costs and drug testing, either through private health insurance
or out of pocket. The court sets up a payment plan for those who say they
cannot afford it, but many report it is easier to make these payments than
they anticipated because they are not wasting money on drugs and alcohol.

Jonas' drug court has shown so much preliminary success that fellow
District Judge Brad Knoll started a second pilot program with Cathy Shaw in
October, which already is almost fully subscribed.

The District Court received a state grant worth more than $100,000 last
fall which allowed it to hire probation officer Leticia Gonzalez to help
handle some of the non-drug court caseload.

This grant also is helping to pay for some of the additional drug-testing,
supervision and court interpreter expenses.

Ottawa County Circuit Court also is preparing to start a drug court for
adults facing felony drug charges on Jan. 21, Court Administrator Kevin
Bowling said. Judge Mark Feyen will preside over this court, as well as one
for juveniles, which began this year.

Jonas asked several of the participants to explain how their holidays this
year differed from last.

One said he was unable to spend the holidays with family, because his
driving privileges have been suspended, so he attended AA meetings every
day. He said he was surprised to find the meeting room packed with people
on Christmas Day.

Another, Roy, said his family was thrilled that he spent Christmas upstairs
playing board games with them, rather than hunkered down alone in the
basement getting high.

Participant Dan, who has gone 183 days without a violation, compiled a list
of strategies for staying drug-free through the holidays, which the team
duplicated and distributed through the group.

His chief advice: Hang out with people you can trust to hold you
accountable not to use.