MANSFIELD — The concept of Richland County Substance Abuse Court wasn’t popular when it was first introduced nearly 30 years ago.
Critics called the approach “soft on crime” when it first launched in 1997 as one of the first five drug courts in Ohio.
Now, local judges, probation officers and even participants say the court is an effective means for reducing recidivism and making the most of public dollars.
Richland County Commissioners Tony Vero, Cliff Mears and Darrell Banks approved a proclamation recognizing the court’s efforts Thursday, in honor of National Treatment Court Month.
Vero read the proclamation, which celebrates “the promise of recovery and restoring hope for drug court graduates and their families,” recognizes participants and staff and acknowledges drug courts’ contributions to reducing drug usage and crime.
“We obviously realize this is a very successful court,” he added.
Judges Phil Naumoff and Brent Robinson of the Richland County Common Pleas Court attended Thursday’s commissioners meeting to provide an update on the program.
Naumoff credited probation officers Lindsey Hobbs and Jason Hoover, along with their supervisor J.J. Bittinger, with the program’s success.
“They pour their heart and soul into this, making sure it runs successfully,” Naumoff said. “They get the necessary funding that we need.”
How does drug court work?
Often known simply as Richland County Drug Court, the program allows low-level, non-violent offenders to enter court supervision in lieu of incarceration.
Drug court participants must undergo drug treatment, seek and maintain full-time employment and remain accountable to a probation officer for the duration of the program, typically 18 months.
“Some people do it quicker,” Robinson said. “Some people have taken five years to get through it, it just depends on the issues you’re having.”
Bittinger, the county’s chief probation officer, said the court system doesn’t track drug court recidivism rates specifically. He did say that overall, the county’s probation office has a lower recidivism rate than the state average.
“We don’t see a lot of the people (from drug court) come back,” Robinson added. “For the most part, the ones that graduate, we don’t see them reoffending.”
The judges said drug court also has practical, cost-saving benefits for the county. Bittinger estimated that a jail stay costs taxpayers between $80 and $100 per day, per offender and said the time served for a drug offense can start at around nine months.
Meanwhile, the drug court program receives some outside funding through different grants and the county mental health board.
According to the Legacy Court Family Foundation, drug courts save between $3,000 and $13,000 per client in taxpayer dollars. These cost savings reflect reduced prison costs, revolving-door arrests and trials and reduced victimization.
Each May, the court hosts a graduation ceremony for those who have completed the program. The next one is scheduled for May 16.
Drug court participants range in age
Mears asked about the typical age range of drug court participants. While Robinson said most people on his docket fall within the 18 to 34 age range, but there are exceptions.
“I did have a grandmother who got talked into using by her granddaughter,” he said. “That was a situation where it was somebody who had never tried anything in her entire life.”
Naumoff said he’s had people in their late 60s assigned to his drug court docket.
“When that drug addiction starts, it could be different variables. With the opioids, some people it’s nothing more than getting into an accident, a work-related issue, they’re prescribed the medications and they become addicted,” he said.
Local judges credit intensive probation with high success rate
Bittinger said he believes Richland County’s success rate is high because probation officers spend significant time “in the field.”
“They’re going to their house; they’re going to their work; they’re checking on their treatment places,” Bittinger said.
“They’re actually getting out there, meeting them where they’re at. They’re seeing their families. Families are either a big help or a big hurt to the success of some of these offenders.”
Over the last 12 months, probation officers have had more than 10,000 contacts with drug court offenders, according to Bittinger. Almost 40 percent of those contacts occurred “in the field.”
“A lot of probation departments across the state of Ohio are Monday through Friday, 8 to 4:30. They don’t go out and do a lot field work,” Bittinger said.
“When I was still a field officer, I used to joke with a lot of families. They would have lunch or dinner prepared and they’d leave a spot for me just because we were at the house so often.”
Robinson agreed.
“I always tell people, when I put them on probation that when you’re on supervision here in Richland County, it’s supervision,” he said. “They’re going to show up when you least expect it.”
Robinson said some individuals on probation have even requested their supervision be transferred elsewhere.
“I know why they want to do that. You don’t have to worry about anybody coming to your house on a weekend. You never have to worry about someone coming to your house or coming to your work. You only go see your officer once a month,” he said.
“I always tell those people, if you’re being supervised outside of Richland County, it means you’re not in Richland County. . . If you’re here, you’re going to be supervised here.”
