Treatment Court redirects lives

If participants complete the program, their criminal records are expunged.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Robin Woods of Youngstown said her life turned around thanks to the help she received through the Youngstown Treatment Court.

“It worked for me,” said Woods, and she believes others who go through the court can achieve similar positive results.

The court, presided over by Municipal Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr., offers nonviolent drug/alcohol and mental health misdemeanor offenders a one-year program in lieu of jail time.

If they are successful in the program, they get a bonus at the end: Their criminal records are expunged, Judge Douglas said.

Woods and the judge were interviewed before graduation Wednesday at which three people — two from the drug and alcohol division and one from the mental health division — were recognized for completing the program.

Woods, a 2006 graduate of the mental health program, said she received help with depression and anger management. She also had numerous physical challenges, including back surgery, to overcome during her year in the program.

Her advice

“I would say, ‘Get in the program,’ because it really works. It made me feel good about myself,” Woods said.

She is on medical disability and spends much of her time helping take care of her 6-month-old grandson, Makell Tellington, whom she described as a “handful.”

Judge Douglas said the key to successfully completing the program is the participants’ desire to overcome addiction.

“We know the program works, particularly for those addicts who really want to change their lives,” the judge said.

The graduation celebrates the efforts of graduates to lead drug-free lives and to remain mentally stable and crime free through making healthy changes in their lives, said Linda Blum, mental health court coordinator for the program.

Linda Turnage is the program’s drug court coordinator.

Program beginnings

The Youngstown Treatment Court began as the Drug Court, instituted in 2001 with the mission of promoting safety of the community and neighborhoods by reducing drug use and future criminal activity of misdemeanor drug-related offenders.

The Mental Health Court was established in 2004. Its primary goals were to keep mentally ill defendants stable and crime free by teaching them to make healthy choices affecting their lives and staying on their medications.

The courts merged in 2006 to become the Youngstown Treatment Court.

In running these programs, it was found that people with drug/alcohol and mental health problems often have co-occurring disorders, Judge Douglas said.

“It made sense to combine the approach to more fully utilize the resources available,” he said. “There is great satisfaction in seeing people literally change their lives ... literally save their own lives.”

He said the program’s success is also because of the collaborative efforts among the municipal court, city police department, the prosecutor’s office, the city’s probation department, Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes, Neil Kennedy Recovery Center, Turning Point Counseling Services and the Mahoning County Mental Health Board.

alcorn@vindy.com