BREAKING THE HABIT

PLYMOUTH - Once in the legal system, many methamphetamine users are
either incarcerated, put on probation or court-ordered to obtain
treatment. Even meth users who truly wish to break the habit have a
difficult time, due to lack of resources and the powerful addiction
of the drug.

"I was a probation officer in Porter County for 17 years and I had
never heard of methamphetamine until I came here," said Mary Jane
Walsworth, Marshall County chief probation officer.

Walsworth was put on meth cases immediately after moving into the
area, and had a quick education and insight into the meth epidemic in
the county.

Meth users end up in the probation department after pleading or being
found guilty of some kind of illegal drug activity. The probation
department is in charge of the pre-sentence investigation report, a
30-day background check that will help the court determine sentencing
for the person.

If the person is sentenced to a period of incarceration, that is
usually followed by a period of probation, said Walsworth. It is the
probation officer's job to keep their tabs on their cases, keep them
from returning to the legal system and encourage them to get treatment.

Probation officers will make frequent unannounced visits to the homes
of their cases. With meth users, this can become complicated.

"My officers have found meth labs, active labs. Then it quickly
transforms from a home visit to a crime investigation," she said.
Meth users can also become paranoid and aggressive, so Walsworth
requires her probation officers be accompanied by law enforcement.

Meth users on probation also have to routinely check in with their
officer. When they do, a urinalysis and mouth swab is administered.

"I tell them, be prepared to be tested every time. And 20 percent of
those drug screens are still positive," she said.

Although it is extremely difficult to break the meth addiction,
Walsworth has seen it happen. She watched a former meth addict became
employed, get involved with her children and physically become
healthier, she said.

"I saw this individual just come back to life before my eyes. I was
just amazed. She just blossomed, and she's still clean," she said.

Something as simple as showing up for an appointment on time can be a
breakthrough in some cases, said Walsworth.

"There are no lost cases. Being in the probation profession for as
many years as I have, you learn there's always a glimmer of hope,"
she said. "Everybody is capable of creating a change in their life."

Currently, the department had seven probation officers, and needs one
more, said Walsworth.

"We have an overwhelming number of case loads, and I'm concerned that
we aren't able to keep up. We aren't seeing these people enough."

Walsworth requested an additional officer in the fall, and is going
to keep trying, she said.

The probation department is a resource for treatment, said Walsworth.
Officers make referrals to treatment centers or counseling through
the county department. Treatment can also be court-ordered.

"We encourage them to go into treatment. Sometimes if they don't,
it's revocation of probation, and a notice goes to court," she said.
"Often times, the goal of a probation officer is not incarceration,
but if it takes a court violation to get them treatment, I will do that."

Getting treatment

Kathleen Davidson has been an addictions counselor for 17 years. At
the Bowen Center in Plymouth, she has seen an increase in meth
addicts over the last couple of years.

"I think it's birthing now, with the judicial system getting so
aggressive fighting it. I see it more because of that. Not many come
in on their own accord," she said.

Meth addicts aren't just addicted to meth. They usually start out
with some alcohol or marijuana addiction, said Davidson.

"Meth is not a social drug. People get addicted quickly, and in their
own human nature, they think they can control it," she said.

When using meth, addicts binge for two to four days, and then use
tranquilizer drugs to bring them down from their high. This causes
cross-addiction, or being addicted to both stimulants.

The Bowen Center staff uses the Matrix Model to treat meth addiction.
It is evidence-based, researched treatment that treats addiction as a
disease, said Davidson.

Meth clients are usually in intense, extended treatment that includes
relapse prevention. On top of meeting with their addictions counselor
four times a week, many may need to see psychiatrists, take
medication and participate in group therapy.

The first year of treatment is not recovery, it is stabilization for
the body, mind and the general everyday life of the individual, said
Davidson. Most meth users have low self-esteem and depression, due to
the state of their life.

While being addicted to meth, many people go through divorces, lose
their jobs and have serious financial problems. On top of court fees,
they can't even afford the treatment that is required by their
probation. Many times, they don't have a driver's license to get to
treatment in the first place.

"We try to be in their shoes. We have to see a sense of hope. That's
an important role of the counselor," said Davidson.

When former meth addicts become employed and start to make money,
they begin to feel better about themselves, she said.

The Bowen Center does not turn anyone away. Treatment payment is
based on a sliding fee scale. Depending on the person's income, it
can range from $30 to $90 per session.

The Local Coordinating Council for the Drug-Free Indiana has grant
money to help pay for treatment for those who qualify.

The legal system and treatment providers need to work together, said
Davidson. Taxpayer money could be shifted to providing treatment
instead of throwing every addict in prison, she said.

"That's where legislation comes in," she added.

Eighty-five percent of the offenders in prison are there for alcohol
and drug-related activity, she said. Addicts in the prison system who
do not quality for treatment end up listening and learning from the
real criminals, she added.

"They're not bad people. The drugs and alcohol create the crime," she said.