News Item
Borderland Substance Abuse Court celebrates 10-year anniversary
Posted: Tuesday, June 30, 2015
On Saturday, June 27, more than 150 people gathered at Smokey Bear Park in International Falls to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Borderland Substance Abuse Court. The event featured remarks from community leaders and program graduates, and featured a community picnic, kid’s activities, and a raffle.
Borderland Substance Abuse Court is one of Minnesota’s
drug courts, serving Koochiching County and Lake of the Woods County. Drug courts are specialized, problem-solving court programs that target non-violent criminal offenders who suffer from addiction to alcohol or other drugs. The programs involve close collaboration between judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement, educational and vocational experts, and community leaders. Through this collaboration, drug courts closely monitor the defendant's progress toward sobriety and recovery through ongoing treatment, frequent drug testing, and regular mandatory check-in court appearances. The programs use a range of immediate sanctions and incentives to foster behavior change.
Through numerous evaluations – both nationally and in Minnesota – drug courts have proven to be a cost-effective tool for reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for the thousands of non-violent offenders that enter the court system every year struggling with addiction. A
2014 evaluation of Minnesota’s drug courts found that program participants had significantly lower re-arrest rates and spent less time incarcerated than similar offenders who went through the traditional court process. The average cost savings for each drug court participant was $4,288 as a result of this reduced incarceration.
Drug courts have also been proven to have a positive impact on the lives of those who participate in the program. According to
2012 state research on drug courts, those participating in these programs showed gains in employment, educational attainment, access to stable housing, and repayment of child support.
According to
Ninth Judicial District Judge Charles LeDuc, presiding judge of the Borderland Substance Abuse Court, court officials have seen firsthand the impact the local drug court has had on the community and offenders. Since 2005, 141 people have entered the program and 107 have successfully completed, or graduated, the drug court.
“Over the past 10 years, we have seen the very real impact the Borderland Substance Abuse Court has had in our community,” said Judge LeDuc. “Every day, we are able to witness people that were trapped in a cycle of drug abuse and prison finally able to take control of their addiction and their lives. By breaking this cycle of crime, we are improving the safety of our community, reducing costs throughout our justice system, and transforming the lives of many people struggling with addiction.”
The Borderland Substance Abuse Court operates through a partnership between Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District, Arrowhead Regional Corrections, the Shermoen Law Office (representing the city of International Falls), Rainy River Recovery, Koochiching County Community Services, and Friends Against Abuse.
“A successful drug court relies on strong partnerships throughout the community it serves,” said Judge LeDuc. “That’s why we felt it was so important to hold this event to celebrate this important anniversary – to show the public how our community has come together to bring about positive change and address the serious issue of drug addiction and abuse.”
Saturday’s event at Smokey Bear Park raised money for the Drug Court alumni group, and will be used to sponsor future educational and outreach events.
About Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District
The Ninth Judicial District consists of the 17 counties of northwest Minnesota, including Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau. There were more than 59,000 cases filed in the Ninth Judicial District in 2014.