Mineral County celebrates treatment court month with luncheon and three graduates

Residents of Mineral County filled the commissioners room at the Mineral County Courthouse May 22 to celebrate National Drug Court Month as well as honor three graduates from the counties DUI/Drug Court program.

After lunch was served, Judge Wanda James introduced the several special guests in attendance as well as the DUI/Drug Treatment Court Team to attendees.

“It takes a village sometimes to raise somebody and it really does take a team to make drug court happen,” Judge James said.

Judge James then introduced fellow Judge John Larson from Missoula, who spoke to attendees about the 26 DUI/Drug Treatment Courts throughout Montana – specifically the importance of Mineral Counties program.

“We have a lot of credibility with the legislature because of the work you do as a team here in Mineral County,” Judge Larson said. “Every time I come down, and I do come down from time to time, to watch the treatment court team meet it is always really amazing that a small community can put it all together and support people who have difficulty with substances in their walk.”

Chief Prosecutor for the Montana Attorney General’s Office Brent Light was present on behalf of the Attorney General and spoke about his personal doubt in the program and how those doubts were proven wrong.

“I have to admit I was very reluctant (to get involved with the program) at first,” Light said. “I’m a life long prosecutor and I just didn’t see how it was going to work.”

Light then read a statement from a participant in the drug court program that said “life before drug court was no life at all” and spoke of the positive influence the program had in their life.

“I’m not sure how it happens, I’m not sure why it happens but all I know with this protocol used in drug court is that it works,” Light said.

The next special guest who addressed attendees was Montana Department of Transportation Director Mike Tooley, who thanked the treatment court team before beginning his speech.

“Programs like this one work,” Tooley said. “It’s been noticed on the national level – it’s effective. We are proud at MDT to have some small part in passing funding onto the drug and DUI courts. We have committed to the program because it is effective.”

The final guest speaker of the day was State Drug Coordinator Jeff Kushner, who addressed the three graduates directly and spoke of the persistence and accomplishment of the graduation.

“It’s graduations that keep those of us that work in this area coming back,” Kushner said. “These three gentleman have really come a long way in the Mineral County Drug Court. As has been mentioned, drug court is a very tough and very intense process. Almost half the people who start out in drug court don’t make it through…that gives you an indication of how difficult it is. It takes a lot of persistence to graduate.”

Kushner then gave examples of just how much perseverance is required to make it through the program.

“Between the three of them they averaged 114 urinalysis tests each,” Kushner said. “They averaged coming to court and seeing Judge James and the team at least 43 times during their stay here. All three of them attended AA meetings and my guess is that they attended at least 100 because I know the three of them are strong participants. All three of you saw your case manager over 100 times, either at meetings or as a result of their surveillance checks. They participated extensively in individual and group treatment.”

According to Kushner, treatment has “historically been on the sideline” when it comes to the justice system but in drug court it is “central.”

“Treatment works very well if we can keep people in long enough if we give people the dosage they need to get well,” Kushner said. “That’s what you are seeing here today.”

After Kushner’s speech the drug court team presented the three graduates with their certificates of competition and the tools they need to succeed in the next chapter of their lives.