By The Honorable Joseph S. Skocelas, 57th District Court, Allegan
County
Josh Murphy
was a tall, lanky 26-year-old who always came to the Allegan County Mental
Health Treatment Court for his review hearings with a big smile on his face. When he entered the mental health court program,
he had a sixth grade education.
Josh lived
with his disabled father, and for part of Josh’s life, the two were
homeless. After Josh was admitted into
the mental health court program and linked to treatment, I asked him what he
hoped to accomplish while in the mental health court program. I told him the obvious were to either
continue his education or seek employment.
He said that he would like to continue his education, and possibly
obtain his G.E.D. But at age 26, the
thought of getting back into education terrified him.
At subsequent
review hearings he indicated he was still “thinking” about working toward his
G.E.D. I told him he needed to move past
the thinking stage and take some action.
Josh was given contact information for the Plainwell Community Schools
Adult Education Program, was told to contact the school, and was instructed to report
to the mental health court treatment team about that contact at his next review
hearing.
Josh reported
at the next hearing that he had made contact with the school and had decided to
work toward obtaining his G.E.D. We
provided encouragement and told him we would pay for his testing with funds from
our mental health court grant.
He took the English
test and passed with honors. He took the
social studies test and passed with the highest score in the entire program. He then hit a roadblock and failed his math
test. We urged him to not give up, to continue
studying hard, and to re-take the test.
On his second attempt, he passed. The final test was science. He was scheduled to take the test prior to his
graduation from the program.
When Josh appeared
for his graduation from the mental health court program, he was disappointed
because he had failed the science test and had not obtained his G.E.D. while in
the program. We pointed out all that all
he had accomplished while in the mental health court program. The prosecutor’s office was so impressed by
Josh’s efforts while in the program that they dismissed the charge against him,
improving the plea offer that was made to him at entry into the program. The team encouraged Josh to keep working
toward his G.E.D., even after graduation.
I later heard
from the Allegan County Mental Health Treatment Court Coordinator that she had received
an excited phone call from Josh saying that he had passed his science test and obtained
his G.E.D. All of us on the treatment
team were very proud of Josh and mailed him a congratulations card.
Recently, while
at home reading the local weekly newspaper, the Union Enterprise, I saw an article written about Josh’s success in
attending Kalamazoo Valley Community College on a scholarship.
When Josh
entered mental health treatment court we all knew he was a bright young man. I just don’t think he believed it
himself. All he needed was some encouragement,
reinforcement that he could do what he set out to do, and a point in the right
direction. He went from a sixth grade education
to college in just over a year.
Judge Joseph Skocelas graduated from Muskegon Catholic Central High
School, Western Michigan University, and the Detroit College of Law. He was a Kalamazoo County Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney for 25 years before being appointed to the 57th District
Court (Allegan County) in 2006 by Governor Granholm. In 2007, he created the Court in the Schools
program and in 2009 started the Allegan County Mental Health Treatment Court,
which has had 80 successful graduates to date.
Judge Skocelas serves as an instructor at the Kalamazoo Valley Community
College Regional Police Academy and for the Allegan County Sheriff’s
Department’s Reserve Academy and Citizens Police Academy.