12/28/2018- Marinette County’s legal system is helping people help themselves. Five years since its inception, the county’s drug court is working to guide participants in their efforts to break the dangerous cycle of addiction and crime. The program puts those who have committed non-violent felonies driven by their addiction on the path to recovery by involving them in community-based treatment where they’re required to establish sober relationships and work or perform community service 40 hours a week- options that often aren’t available in the prison-based programs they’d otherwise be enrolled in. Judge Jim Morrison says the number one goal is reducing the recidivism rate in the local court system.
New this year is Marinette County’s Mental Health Court, which addresses another underlying reason people commit crimes: untreated mental illness. The 12-month program is just the fifth in the state and monitors participants to ensure they’re following their prescribed treatment regimen. Morrison says although mental health problems aren’t always as easy to identify as drug abuse, the prevalence of the issue in the jail system is just as severe.
Around 20 people have successfully completed the Marinette County Drug Court and Mental Health Court has just begun taking participants. You can get more information about both programs on Marinette County’s website.