Many people do not realize with all the puff pieces on Drug Courts, how many participants actually fail in the program. Drug courts results are only based on the people who completed the entire program. These men who were sent to prison that were in the Drug Court program will not be counted, because they did not complete it in it’s entirety. This is not a proper way to see drug courts success or failure.
This article also points out that many people participating in Drug Court are still committing crimes and using drugs while in the program. They do not need to be mandated to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings where many vulnerable members of society including minors attend. They end up in our parks and playgrounds in Holly Hill Fl.
Two who failed drug court sent to prison
Brett Ellis/Fremont Tribune | Posted: Tuesday, March 6, 2012 8:33 am
Two people who failed to complete drug court were sentenced to prison on Monday.
Judge Geoffrey Hall sentenced 29-year-old Ricardo Mendez of Fremont to 20 months to 5 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine, a Class IV felony.Mendez admitted to selling bath salts to fellow drug court participants and using synthetic marijuana while he was in the program.
“He turned drug court into a criminal enterprise,” Deputy Dodge County Attorney Mark Boyer said. “I can’t think of a much worse thing to do in drug court than trying to drag other people in the program down the drain.”
Mendez said he accepted responsibility for his actions but said the people he sold bath salts to chose to make those purchases.Hall, though, said Mendez was a “devious leader” who had a bad influence on other drug court participants.
“I believe your conduct in drug court is the worst kind possible because you took other people down with you,” Hall said. Hall also sentenced 20-year-old Zackery Carlstrom of Fremont to 20 months to 5 years in prison for terroristic threats, a Class IV felony. Boyer said Carlstrom reported using methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol and marijuana while in drug court. Carlstrom also absconded twice from the program. “You had some successes,” Hall said. “However, the failures far outweigh those successes.” Hall also encouraged Carlstrom to use his talents in positive ways in the future. “Grow a backbone,” the judge said. “Do the hard right instead of the easy wrong.” Also on Monday, 26-year-old Anthony Martinez of Fremont was sentenced to 20 months to 5 years for terroristic threats and a year in prison for third-degree domestic assault, a Class I misdemeanor. The sentences will run consecutive to each other.
Martinez also was sentenced to 90 days in jail for criminal mischief, a Class II misdemeanor, and that will run concurrent with the other sentence. Hall also ordered Martinez to pay $400 in restitution.Chief Deputy Dodge County Attorney Stacey Hultquist asked for the maximum sentence based Martinez’s criminal history, which includes multiple arrests every year since 2004.
“This is a person who cannot be a productive person in our society and continues to get in trouble,” Hultquist said.
Martinez apologized to the female victim and her family. “That’s not how I was raised,” he said. “I know better than that.” Hall said probation was not an option for Martinez because of his criminal history.
Like this tradition, perhaps?: The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
I wonder what A.A. (& its 12-step counterparts) would be like if groups took that tradition seriously- instead of leaving it open to anyone and everyone who does not have ‘the desire to stop drinking”? I’m betting it’d make the programs safer and more effective.
However- I had a communication with the GSO where one of the staff people said it is up to every individual to decide how he/she wishes to interpret the traditions…
What I have seen in the last 20 years in NA is that Drug Court is destroying the host (NA). The old-timers are opposed to it and essentially have fled the program. This leave a mess of newcomers and court slippers. One evidence of this is the lack of meeting leaders, never a problem in the past.
Now people show up and some body takes the meeting or its just dark.
Our sanctuary has been invaded by people who are gaming us and as a result, those who truly desire to get clean don’t have a good program to lock into but rather a watered down mess pandering to Drug Court.
Hardly any ever make it to 4 years now days. No 4 year chips are given out. Its 1, 2, 3 years and then relapse and hopefully start over.
Our birthday boards read 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,8,9,11,13,14,15,16,17,17,19, 20,20,22,23,24,26,27,29,30,30,31. There is a big gap between 3 and 8 as it has not been working for some time.
The few old-timers who do attend are considered incompetent as they can’t even figure out that Drug Court is the key to recovery and therefore they must be out of touch on all other aspects of recovery. They are dismissed as being clueless.
The lack of old-timers had caused financial havoc for the meetings with most on the verge of collapse. We assume that when they go dark in droves that Drug Court will simply hire NA meeting leaders and move the meetings into county building and that this will be the new NA.
This has been a disaster of biblical proportions but no one seems to see it. NA has become a dumping ground for violent criminals who’s violent charges are dropped and they are sent to our meetings where minors are present.
Its just one more federal disaster. Nothing new. But it gives the illusion that the Feds are on top of it. There is a growing frige made up of old-timers who are opposed to Drug Court, and the way things are being done now. Probably in the future, the fellowship will split into two different and distinct groups. One, people with over 30 years and the other with people having less than 4 years. Who knows what will happen to the ones with 8 to 29 years. But the old-timers are tired of being corrected on their views and do not want to argue with a guy with 8 years about the wonders of Drug Court. Only NA could throw off the buss its most dedicated, loyal and generous member in favor of the federal government.
This is exactly what happened in AA. The Affiliation with the Courts leads to the destruction of the meetings. The culture within the meetings changes and then the meetings are powerless to right their ships. We have 12 simple “Rules” in the form of Tradtions and yet members want to cut corners on them.
Since my last post we have gone from 93 NA MEETINGS IN KANSAS CITY TO 17. Our website has been down for a year and no paper meetings schedules have been printed. Drug Court is destroying us. And no one there ever picks up a 4 year chip. Its a monumental government failure.
Wow thats a big decrease in meetings! Both NA and AA are on the decline as people realize how dangerous these meetings are as Drug Courts expand and mandate 12 step meetings.