HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s not always easy for people to analyze their actions and confront the issues that got them in trouble with the law.
But some defendants are doing just that as part of the county’s new behavioral health court.
Court officials took a little longer than expected to get the program up and running, but the first meeting of the new court took place on Friday, January 14, in Hancock County Superior Court 1 under the supervision of Judge DJ Davis.
“It was great to finally get this started,” Davis said after the first session.
Davis has wanted to establish the new problem-solving court since before taking office in January 2021 as Superior Court 1 judge. His goal is to address the fundamental behavioral issues of the accused and treat them rather than push the person through of the judicial system without trying. to solve your underlying problems. If the program works, it will reduce the number of people repeatedly going through the court system.
Davis and the program’s coordinator, Kevin Minnick, had hoped to have it up and running in September, but found time to get all the county judges on board; deal with a sea of paperwork; COVID complications; and the desire to refine the way the program should work delayed the start.
“There was a lot of paperwork and stuff that we had to put in place and sort out,” Davis said.
That included bringing in officials from the prosecutor’s office and defense attorneys, gathering their input, and determining how the court program would work and who would be allowed in. Officials had a strong desire to make sure they got the right kind of defendants. involved, one willing to admit that they have behavior problems and would be willing to work on them.
Last week’s first session operated more or less as officials run the county’s well-established drug court program in the Hancock County Circuit Court overseen by Judge Scott Sirk. There, the defendants talk about their problems and the progress of treatment; listen to motivational speakers; and they are responsible for their actions, as they try to get their lives back on track.
“The shows look very similar,” Minnick said. “But with that said, there will probably be less detail on what people are doing in our court due to the nature of mental health and the fact that people will be on different paths.”
Kim Hall, executive director of Mental Health Partners of Hancock County, gave a presentation at the first meeting, telling how long people like Minnick and local attorney Jeff McClarnon have worked to get the program up and running.
“I didn’t realize it had been almost 10 years since we started this project together,” Minnick said of her and McClarnon’s work. “It was nice to see it come true today.”
While Davis admits it was frustrating not to have the program up and running sooner, he was glad the leadership team took the time to iron out the issues and make sure the court, which will also focus on veterans, was set up the right way. right way.
The original plan called for the behavioral health court to have dozens of participants at once, but the first session opened with only two participants, one in person and the other watching via Zoom from jail due to COVID restrictions. The number of participants is expected to increase rapidly during the upcoming meetings, which are scheduled every two weeks.
“We only have the two participants right now, but we have about 20 defendants waiting in the chute,” Minnick said.
Davis noted that having just the two participants in the first session allowed them to dig a little deeper into each person’s problem and get the show off to a good start.
“It was good to hear them talk about the real reasons that got them in trouble,” Davis said.
The type of offender accepted in the new court program will vary, but all will be Level 4 felony offenders or below, officials said. There will be no mandate that someone must first go through community corrections, home detention, or parole before being allowed in.
Prosecutor Brent Eaton said his office stands behind the new program and hopes it will be successful in helping people deal with the behavioral issues that landed them in jail.
“We want results that help the community stay safe as they deal with mental health issues,” Eaton said. “If people can learn to deal with their problems in this way and get real help, they’re more likely not to have to go see the sheriff in jail.”
Eaton, who is on the drug court team, said he will do whatever it takes to support Behavioral Health Court, noting that when people are dealing with mental health issues and they don’t push them aside, it’s good for public safety.
Davis asked each of the participants in the first meeting to use one word to describe their experience at the conclusion of the first session. One said they were “excited” while the other was “hopeful.” That, Davis said, is a good sign, but he noted that participants need to do their part to move forward, including taking medications prescribed by health officials that will also help those in the program.
“Participants will have to accept what we’re doing,” Davis said. “They have to have completely new lifestyles and not go back to the way they used to live.”
