The Twenty-First Judicial District Treatment Court announced that two participants will be honored at the drug court’s first graduation ceremony on Wednesday, November 16 at 5 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall’s Community Room, located at 223 S 2nd Street in Hamilton.
The Adult Treatment Court is a voluntary program which lasts 15-18 months. This program is a post-adjudication drug court – individuals have been convicted of a felony offense prior to beginning the program. The program provides individuals the opportunity to change their life circumstances and become alcohol- and other drug-free.
The Twenty-First Judicial District’s drug court was established in 2021. This occasion will also mark the Court’s one-year anniversary in the Bitterroot Valley. Through hard work, participants have regained their lives by maintaining recovery and reconnection with employers, their families, and the community. Establishing and maintaining recovery is accomplished by:
• regular court appearances and immediate sanctions, incentives, and treatment adjustments in response to behavior
• maintaining a significant period of recovery with no positive drug tests for a minimum of six consecutive months. In the case of our graduates, their sobriety has been considerably longer, with over 16 months clean and sober
• abiding by the intensive supervision provided by Probation and Parole
• paying all program fees and fines in full
• maintaining consistent attendance at all court appearances and treatment appointments
• demonstrating an understanding of personal problems associated with alcohol and other drug use and criminal behavior and the need for honesty to achieve a stable recovery
• maintaining a stable living arrangement and a productive lifestyle through employment and/or training or education
• possessing a definitive recovery management/aftercare plan which may include 12-step meetings, maintaining sobriety and other personalized individual goals as stated in their long-term recovery management plan.
With the use of comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programming, the Twenty-First Judicial District (Ravalli) Treatment Court serves the community and promotes public safety by reducing the rate of criminal recidivism of individuals who commit crimes because of clinically diagnosed substance use dependency. Honesty and individual accountability are at the foundation of the drug treatment court program. The multi-disciplinary program involves a team of professionals led by District Court Judge Howard Recht, including the court’s drug coordinator, a probation officer, community-based treatment providers (Western Montana Treatment Services and Sapphire Community Health), a sheriff’s deputy, an Assistant County Attorney and a representative from the Public Defender’s Office, and other local community agency representatives dedicated to serving the population living in recovery.
Judge Howard Recht said he’s “extremely pleased to see our first treatment court participants graduate.” Regarding these participants, Judge Recht stated, “They have worked hard to consistently demonstrate a willingness to remain law-abiding and sober. They want to show the community that they have addressed their issues and want to remain contributing members of the community. I recognize that their course in Treatment Court has not been easy. It has required their time, dedication, and resources. The staff members of the Treatment Court have invested in them, and these graduates are showing that this has been a good investment and that it will continue to pay dividends in the future. I wish them well as they continue to maintain a sober, law-abiding future.”
Nearly 40 treatment courts are in operation around Montana, including adult and juvenile drug courts, family/dependency and neglect drug courts, DUI courts, adult co-occurring courts, tribal healing to wellness courts, and veterans’ treatment courts.