Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative Brings Roundtable Learning Opportunity to Michigan

By Kristina Bryant, Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts; and Executive Director, Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative

The Appalachian/Midwest Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI), of which Michigan is a part, was originally created in 2016 in response to the need for information, education, and resources to address the opioid epidemic in the region. Since then it has broadened its scope to include all substance use disorders and is educating the judiciary on how to best support those afflicted through recovery, rehabilitation, and jail diversion programs designed to keep families together, reduce recidivism, and save lives.

S.T.A.N.D.ing through COVID-19: Wayne County’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Perseveres during the Pandemic

By the Honorable Karen Braxton, Third Circuit Court (Wayne County)

For more than 20 years, the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court known as the S.T.A.N.D. (Supervised Treatment for Alcohol & Narcotic Dependency) Program has been a staple in the 3rd Circuit Court - Juvenile Division for working with very troubled youth.

The S.T.A.N.D. Program is a highly-structured specialty court designed to provide an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system through comprehensive supervision and treatment services for youth who struggle with substance use disorders.  It provides opportunity, teaches responsibility, builds character, and produces success.  Cases are referred into the program by either the jurist, prosecutor, defense attorney, and/or case management organizations.  Youths are screened for eligibility by our Juvenile Justice Specialist.  Our team includes jurists, a coordinator, an administrative assistant, probation officers, defense attorneys, educational advocates, prosecutors, treatment providers, and mentors.

The Evolution of the Phoenix Court for Youth Victims of Human Trafficking

By:  Scott LeRoy, Deputy Court Administrator
        Annette Ellison, Clinical Social Worker
        Rebecca Stowell, Senior Juvenile Court Officer

In early 2017, the Juvenile Division of the 30th Judicial Circuit Court embarked on developing a treatment court to address the issue of sexual exploitation and commercial trafficking of Ingham County youth.  As the plan unfolded, the court realized that this challenging work would require a multidisciplinary approach.  After months of research, training, site visits, and technical assistance through the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO), Phoenix Court began.  The court, formed by the vision of Judge Laura Baird, is a collaboration between the Circuit Court Juvenile Division, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office, and privately contracted attorneys.

Kent County Girls Court Addresses Female Juvenile Delinquency

By Marcela Moralez-Morris, Supervisor of Girls Court Program, 17th Circuit Court

The 17th Circuit Court created a Girls Court to address the growing trend of female juvenile offenders who come in contact with law enforcement and the court system.  Female offenders are increasing significantly nationwide, but the services available to help these young ladies are limited.  

Medication Assisted Treatment Provides Help, Hope to Inmates

By Chuck DeWitt, Corrections Security Captain, Kent County Sheriff’s Office

As a road patrol deputy, I routinely brought those I arrested into intake, and as a detective, I entered the bowels of the jail to interview inmates.  But as the security captain, it was eye-opening as I began to learn the everyday world of a corrections officer as they ensure our facility is safe and secure for the inmates, our staff and contracted staff, our various partners, and the general public.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Court Embraces 'Spirit of Collaboration' Inside and Outside of the Tribal Community

By MSC Public Information Office

As the issue of substance abuse—opioid, in particular—has grown across the country and state to epidemic proportions, it also has grown within sovereign nations, and Michigan’s Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is no exception. 

Midland County's First MiHOPE Graduate

By Brionna Varner, MiHOPE Coordinator for the 42nd Circuit Court (Midland)

On December 19, 2017, the Midland County Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program (SSSPP) held a special hearing to celebrate the first probationer to be successfully discharged from the program.   Known locally as MiHOPE (Midland County Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement), the program requires probationers to remain violation-free for two years in order to be successfully discharged.

Certification of Michigan's Problem-Solving Courts

By Thomas Myers, SCAO Problem-Solving Court Analyst

Michigan’s problem-solving courts will — for the first time — become certified programs.  And that’s good news for Michigan, for the trial courts, and, most of all, for the participants in these programs.  But what does certification mean, why is it important, when does it go into effect, and how does a program achieve certification?

20th Circuit's Adult Drug Treatment Court Selected as Mentor Court

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.

Third Circuit Court's Juvenile Mental Health Court Program Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Graduation Ceremony

By The Honorable Edward J. Joseph, Third Circuit Court (Wayne County)

The Third Circuit Court’s Juvenile Mental Health Court, one of only six such programs in the state of Michigan, held its first graduation ceremony on March 8, 2017, at Michigan State University’s Detroit Center.  Four youth graduated from the program.  The celebration was attended by judges, clinical professionals, and administration throughout the Third Circuit Court.  The graduating participants received certificates of completion, and Jonathan Edison, a renowned motivational speaker, delivered the keynote address.  Summer employment opportunities were made available to the graduates.

Hope Not Handcuffs Offers Solutions for Addicts Seeking Help

By The Honorable Linda Davis, 41B District Court (Clinton Township)

The heroin/prescription drug epidemic has become the number one health crisis in the United States, as more and more people fall prey to addiction.

Consider these startling facts: 

Establishing a Mental Health Treatment Court in a Large Region

By Judge Mark Luoma, 93rd District Court, Alger and Schoolcraft Counties

Back in 2015, a particular individual came before the 93rd District Court in Manistique.  The case was unusual because the defendant was autistic.  I will call him “Joe” to maintain confidentiality, but his story is not uncommon.  

From Sixth Grade To College in A Year: How Mental Health Court Helped Point One Participant in the Right Direction

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.

Swift and Sure in 2016: Year in Review

By Thomas Myers, Management Analyst, SCAO, Trial Court Services

Last year was a big year for Michigan’s Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program.  Let’s look back at some highlights.

Finding the ‘KEYS’ to Success for Kalamazoo Youth

By Joseph L. Thomas, III, Juvenile Services Supervisor
Kalamazoo County Circuit Court

In 2015, the Family Division staff of Kalamazoo County Circuit Court met to discuss ways of improving service delivery, while better meeting the needs of our court-involved youth.  Judges, referees, administrators, managers, and juvenile probation officers identified gaps in the lives of youths resulting in delinquent behavior.  The team created an exciting and innovative program called Kalamazoo Empowering Youth for Success (KEYS) as a potential remedy.  The program targets areas such as gender-specific programming, after-school supervision, vocational readiness and placement, educational and community supports, and improved decision-making skills.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear: Why Peacemaking Makes Sense in State Court Justice Systems

©2016. First published in the Judge’s Journal, Vol. 55, No. 4, Fall 2016, by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association or the copyright holder 

By the Honorable Timothy Connors, 22nd Circuit Court, Washtenaw County

For some, Shakespeare’s famous stage directive is more than a visual transition. It is a metaphorical recognition that we need to take a different path. The bear is our collective self. It represents how we too often respond to conflict between each other in our justice systems. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observed: “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.” In the end, the bear consumes us all.

Some believe that tribal court peacemaking offers us that alternative path. This path leaves us with our sensibilities intact and our better selves renewed. I speak now of our collective selves. I speak of a justice system that views the healing of controversy as an institutional foundation to its public responsibility. As a state court judge who has embraced peacemaking in our state courts, I am one of those who believe.

In 2013, our Michigan Supreme Court asked our county to explore tribal court peacemaking philosophies, principles, and procedures and report on whether state courts could benefit from what we learned from our tribal neighbors. We did.

And we can.