By Andy Brown, Program
Coordinator, 20th Circuit Court (Ottawa County)
The 20th Judicial
Circuit Adult Drug Treatment Court in Grand Haven (drug court), a specialty
program for non-violent felony offenders with acute substance use disorders,
has been selected as one of nine “mentor courts” in the United States by the
Department of Justice and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
(NADCP). This distinction is awarded to high-performing drug courts that
demonstrate exemplary practices and operate with fidelity to the drug court
model.
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| Judge Mark Feyen, right, accepts a plaque from the NCSC Photo credit to the Grand Haven Tribune |
“There are over 3,000 drug courts in operation across the
United States, so to have earned this honor really speaks to the quality and
integrity of the work our drug court is doing,” said Drug Court Judge Mark A.
Feyen. “Even more affirming is that this award comes on the heels of
being nationally recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration in 2016 in a webinar discussing how drug courts are leading the
way in criminal justice reform,” stated Feyen.
The drug court will hold the
“mentor court” distinction for the next three years.
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| The Ottawa County Drug Court team poses with the plaque designating the court program as a national mentor court Photo credit to the Grand Haven Tribute |
As a mentor court we
will have the opportunity to host other drug court programs from around the
United States, provide consulting and technical assistance to drug courts, and
participate in national drug court planning and policy initiatives. This is an outstanding opportunity to showcase
the work of our drug court and advance the reputation of Ottawa County and the
20th Circuit Court.
A study conducted by Grand Valley State University in 2014
demonstrates the adult drug treatment court significantly reduces new crime and
repeated drug and alcohol use among high-risk and high-need offenders.
Notably, drug court participants were 73 percent less likely to commit a new
crime within three years of discharge from the drug court when compared to a
similar group of people who were sentenced to traditional probation.
Our team is excited to work in partnership with the NADCP
over the next three years and we believe this a great way to highlight the work
of our drug court and draw attention to the work of all the specialty courts in
Michigan.