Richland County Treatment Court ready to open its doors Monday, January 20, 2020
The Richland County Treatment Court, located in Wahpeton, is ready to provide a program that hopes to rehabilitate drug and alcohol offenders who commit to the program.
The Wahpeton Court isn’t new to this type program as it ran a DUI Court that started in November 2013 and operated on county funding and grants. The grants ended the summer of 2019. The 66th Legislature provided funds for the North Dakota Supreme Court to reopen the court under their direction.
Agencies involved have been meeting and developing an updated program. Those involved are the Southeast Human Service Center, Dept. of Corrections, Richland County State’s Attorney, defense counsel, Life Transformations, Richland County Community Service Coordinator, Unit I Court Administrator, North Dakota Supreme Court Program Manager, Judge Brad Cruff, and Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. Lindsey Boushee has been hired to coordinate the program.
The 14 month program is designed to provide the Court with an alternative to traditional probation supervision for individuals who have serious problems with substance abuse and are involved in the legal system. The program is a highly structured program and will provide an evidenced-based treatment model and the program will follow the 10-Guiding Principles for Treatment Courts.
The Richland County Treatment Court is a court-supervised treatment-oriented program and targets non-violent participants whose major problems stem from substance abuse. The Treatment Court is a voluntary program, which includes regular court appearances before the Drug Court Judge. Treatment includes drug testing, individual and group counseling, and regular attendance in community support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART, etc.
The treatment court team may also assist with obtaining education and skills assessments and will provide referrals for vocational training, education and/or job placement services. The program length, determined by the participant’s progress, will be no less than 14 months. Successful completion from the Treatment Court Program may result in having the original charge(s) dismissed, reduction in sentence, or early termination from probation. This opportunity may open new doors for offenders and a new start for many.
Judge Cruff is excited to reopen the Richland County Treatment Court with more resources available to assist participants.
“Being able to address the participants’ substance use disorders instead of just processing them through the criminal justice system is so much more effective, rewarding, and a better use of taxpayer dollars,” he said.
For more information on eligibility and an application, please contact the Richland County Coordinator, Lindsey Boushee at lboushee@ndcourts.gov.