DRUG COURT Program to urge offenders to vote

Registering people to vote is intended to help them get involved in the community.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Leaders of Mahoning County's felony drug court want more than a clean slate and a sense of accomplishment for people who complete the court's treatment program.
They want recovered drug offenders to feel a sense of civic responsibility, and to help them make the transition from the criminal justice system into their community.
They think voting is part of that process, and are preparing a program to help the offenders register.
"One of the primary things we want to do is assure that they become productive members of society," said Judge Jack Durkin of common pleas court. "What better way to bring them full circle than to restore their rights and enable them to vote."
Judge Durkin oversees the drug court, which allows first-time, nonviolent drug offenders a chance to seek treatment instead of prison or other sanctions.
The voter registration idea was brought to the table by Mahoning County Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime, which helps monitor drug court participants' progress.
About the program
TASC is a private, nonprofit program that started in 1998, providing case management and intense supervision for drug- and alcohol-dependent people who are receiving court-ordered treatment for substance abuse.
The agency doesn't provide treatment services, but screens candidates and refers them into appropriate treatment programs, said M. Kurt Welsh, executive director.
Welsh said the voter registration idea is a prong of TASC's mission to help people re-enter society from the criminal justice system.
In Ohio, people convicted of a felony automatically lose their right to vote. But those who complete a court-imposed treatment program through the drug court have their charges dropped, so don't have a felony conviction on their record.
"A lot of them are people who never pursued the right to vote. It was the farthest thing from their mind," Welsh said. "We would like to make it an important process in their lives."
Can voluntarily register
Beginning this summer, drug court graduation ceremonies will include a brief presentation about voting, and graduates will be told that someone will help them register to vote if they are interested. Registration will be voluntary.
Welsh said officials from the board of elections and the local Democratic and Republican parties will be encouraged to participate in the programs.
Thomas McCabe, deputy director of the board of elections, said he likes the idea and hopes it is successful. He said people who end up in the criminal justice system often feel disconnected from society.
"If you get them voting and interested in the process, it can only be a good thing," McCabe said.
TASC and drug court staff believe that registering people to vote and encouraging them to participate in elections will give drug offenders an "intrinsic sense of worth" and make them feel a part of society, Welsh said.
"It's just to bring some focus and normalcy to their lives. It brings them to another level of recovery," he said. "I think it's an important step for our agency to take if we're truly interested in helping people become a part of the community."
Participants interested
Welsh and Judge Durkin said they've spoken to drug court participants about the idea, and the interest is high.
"I think it's something they will grab onto and cherish," the judge said.
Welsh said the law provides a system for convicted felons to eventually regain their right to vote, but it's complicated and cumbersome. Still, TASC hopes to someday broaden the program to help people get their voting right restored.
In the meantime, TASC will soon offer the voter registration option to other people who come into its programs from places other than the drug court.
Testing another program
Besides working together on the voter registration initiative, Judge Durkin said the felony drug court and TASC are involved in a statewide pilot program to treat offenders who fail the drug court program.
In the past, an offender's association with the court ended if he or she was terminated from the program and sent to prison. Under the new program, those inmates can be fast-tracked through the inmate screening process and placed in a state prison built specifically for felony drunken-driving offenders, where they will undergo a 90-day treatment program.
A TASC case manager will monitor their progress through the program, Judge Durkin said. If they comply with all program requirements in prison, the court will consider their early release.
Once they are released, the offenders will be placed on probation through the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, with TASC continuing to monitor their treatment.
Judge Durkin said two people who did not complete the local drug court have already been identified as candidates for the new program, which is for people charged with fourth- and fifth-degree felony offenses.
bjackson@vindy.com