County drug and alcohol treatment court grant rejected
Editor’s note: This article is the second in a short series regarding methamphetamine and the serious problem of meth abuse in Crawford County.
By Correne Martin
By continuously throwing methamphetamine and other narcotics users in jail, utilizing solely Crawford County funds and resources, addicts don’t get the help they need and the root of the drug problem is not addressed. The only result is that the junkies spend a night off the streets.
“Crawford County is a small county with a big need,” said Circuit Court Judge James Czajkowski. “Yet our county does not have a social worker who is a drug and alcohol abuse counselor.”
The national trend, where success rates vary per county, is to rehabilitate drug abusers, as opposed to calling for jail or prison sentences, according to Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick.
“That’s, of course, for those who are rehabilitatable,” he said. “Some just need to be locked up; they’re a menace to society.”
The Wisconsin judiciary, in general, has been encouraged to start drug and alcohol treatment courts, according to Czajkowski, who has spent the past two years trying to bring one to the county, but to no avail.
Aside from sentencing addicts to state prison, where counseling is automatically provided, a treatment court would be an alternative to jail or probation.
“The idea is that, every month, they have to come back to court and express what they’ve done,” he explained. “If the person has fallen off the wagon, they can get another chance. The incentive is to stay sober and then they can stay out of jail.”
So Czajkowski, Crawford County Health and Human Services Director Dan McWilliams and Mayo Clinic obtained an agreement from the county board to furnish $45,000 toward a treatment court. They also put together a grant request for $60,000 from the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) program of the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ).
“I attempted to give the state attorney general an idea of the percentage of people in our jail addicted to drugs or alcohol,” Czajkowski said. “It’s pretty close to 100 percent, including the number of people who are using and commit abuse or burglaries of assets they can sell to get their drugs. They’re all on something stronger than pot too, like meth.”
Because Crawford County has no social workers certified in AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse), the judge proposed the county use its own circuit court system to conduct treatment court and then go outside the county to secure substance abuse expertise. In effect, the county would hire a counselor from Mayo Clinic and a part-time coordinator for it as well.
“The attorney general representative I spoke to was very promising that we’d get the ($60,000) grant, but we didn’t get it. I didn’t even receive a letter saying why,” the judge lamented, noting that he was told the funds went to the Milwaukee area instead. “Our people aren’t getting the help they need. The legislature has got to come up with more money, otherwise they should allow counties to raise their levy limits to cover the need.”
Czajkowski pointed out Crawford County meth users tend to be middle-aged individuals. “These are the people who are already unable to buy groceries for their families and they don’t have jobs, but they’re buying drugs and alcohol.”
Neighboring Grant County implemented an intensive probation and drug treatment court in August of 2014 through a DOJ grant and, just this month, saw its first two program graduates.
According to Tony Palese, a representative from Sen. Jennifer Shilling’s office, about $1-2 million per year is available statewide for such diversion programs.
“That’s not even scratching the surface,” Palese noted, “but diversion efforts have proven to be very successful at reducing recidivism rates and saving taxpayer dollars. Also, a group of faith-based organizations, called Wisdom, is advocating for the state to fund more programs like this. Wisdom estimates that every $1 invested into local TAD efforts saves taxpayers about $1.95 through reduced incarceration costs and recidivism rates.”
Palese added that Wisdom and other correction reform advocates have launched an effort to increase state funding for TAD programs to $20 million annually in order to address the increased demand.
Judge Czajkowski, who will retire from his circuit court seat July 31, said he’s shared his efforts and ambitions with Judge-Elect Lynn Rider. “I’ve suggested she give it another try,” he stated.
For those who seek help now, are referred by someone or are required by the court, Mayo Clinic in Prairie du Chien offers drug and alcohol screenings and intensive outpatient, individual and group counseling services. They also provide prevention services in the community, such as drug-and alcohol-free activities, prescription drug drop-off boxes, school presentations and awareness campaigns.
Mayo moved its private rehab Villa Success services inside the local clinic in January. Two years ago, Mayo also quit offering its residential services.
But, according to Colleen Teynor, supervisor of Mayo’s behavioral health services in Prairie du Chien, Mayo “very much supports bringing a treatment court to Crawford County.”
“Being in a rural community, these issues tend to be more prominent. Looking at underage use of drugs and alcohol is another area we can target,” she said.
To make an appointment for these services, call Mayo Clinic at 326-0808.
There’s also a crisis line available on evenings and weekends at (608) 306-7981.
