Character motivation: treatment courts

In Books, Crooks & Counselors, I wrote about drug courts, mental health courts, and other treatment courts designed to give offenders with identifiable problems–sometimes called “co-occurring conditions”–extra resources. The goal is to provide intensive management and supervision to help them solve the underlying problems, e.g., requiring regular check-ins, making sure they attend AA or NA meetings, obtain psychological counseling, and work or attend school–helping them become contributing members of society while reducing the risk of future criminal offenses.

A 2011 report from the Montana Supreme Court, Office of the Court Administrator, tracks their success. The results are encouraging. 

On average, in Montana, nearly 54% who enroll graduate. National studies show similar rates.

• “During the 30-month study period there were 123 documented reoffenses including 21 felonies and 102 misdemeanors for a reoffense rate of 15.47%. When broken out by type of offense, (i.e., misdemeanor vs. felony) the rates are as follows: 2.6% felony and 12.8% misdemeanor.”

• 162 participants who were out of the program for two years or more committed 19 offenses (2 felonies and 17 misdemeanors), for an 11.7% overall reoffense rate. The report says “This rate of reoffense compares very favorably to traditional criminal justice system reoffense rates for alcohol and other drug dependent offenders.”

• “Adult Drug Court graduates reported a 17.6% increase in employment from admission to graduation. Family Drug Court graduates report a 61.8% increase in employment from admission to graduation.” When parents work, kids do better economically.

• “Adult Drug Court participants reported a 21.4% increase in adults getting a high school education, GED or attending some technical school/college. For the 86 Juvenile Drug Court cases there was a 350% increase in the number of participants receiving a high school diploma/ GED or some college.”

• “Forty-four of the 115 graduates that did not have a driver’s license at admission received a license by graduation.” Most likely those licenses were lost because of DUIs. Reinstatement reflects sobriety.

Funding problems continue. At the same time as some counties are adding drug, family, and veterans court, others are cutting treatment courts.

The easy-to-read report opens with a letter from a graduate, and provides a useful analysis of a variety of approaches with statistical results.

Are your fictional characters candidates for a treatment court? Graduates or drop-outs referred back to prosecution? A family member helping, or standing in the way? Staff? A mental health counselor fighting to keep a treatment court operating?

 

The Big Thrill and the Change of Life

ITW — The International Thriller Writers — publishes a monthly online magazine, The Big Thrill, crammed with reviews & author interviews, and this month, I’m interviewed about Books, Crooks & Counselors.  

And my essay, The Change of Life, appeared this past weekend on the Crime Writers’ Chronicle. In which I talk about ways my day job has influenced my writing.

If I gotchya with the titles, I hope you’ll stay and read the interview and blog post!