Meth and Drug Courts

Drug courts—also known as treatment courts and healing-to-wellness courts—are specialty courts that handle substance-abusing offenders. Drug courts feature comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment services and sanctions and incentives.

There are drug courts specifically for adults and juveniles, while family drug courts involve adults whose children are in the child protection system. Tribal healing-to-wellness courts incorporate and adapt the wellness court concept to meet the specific substance abuse needs of tribal communities.

Under Montana law local courts may establish drug treatment courts. A number of Montana cities, counties and tribes have drug court programs in place.

Courts may vary in structure or scope, but they share the same goals:

to reduce recidivism
to reduce substance abuse among participants
to rehabilitate participants

Although the composition of each drug court "team" varies, typical team members might include:

judge
prosecutor and defense attorney
treatment provider
case manager
probation or other law enforcement
school representative (if appropriate, for juvenile court)
employment or vocational rehabilitation representative (if appropriate, for adult court)
social worker or child protection representative (if appropriate, for family court)

Successful completion—or graduation—may result in dismissal of charges, reduced or set-aside sentences or modified penalties.

The first drug court was implemented in 1989, in Miami, Florida. According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Drug Court Clearinghouse Project, there are more than 1,400 drug courts operating in the 50 states. Other types of "problem-solving" courts include mental health courts, DUI courts and domestic violence courts.

Drug Courts in Montana

Adult Drug Courts
Court	Contact	Phone
Cascade County	Janet Meissner	268-6781
Gallatin County	Eric Bryson	582-2460

Youth Drug/Wellness Courts
Court	Contact	Phone
Cascade County	Jayci Kolar	268-6784
Chippewa Cree	Pete DeMontiney	395-4735
Crow	Sheila Wilkinson	638-2002
Fort Belknap	Terry Healy	353-8387
Mineral County	Judge Wanda James	822-3550
Missoula County	Brenda Desmond	258-4728
Northern Cheyenne	John Robinson	477-8340
Richland County	Serena Everett	489-1329

Family Drug Courts
Court	Contact	Phone
Butte/Silverbow	Julie Janacaro	497-6384
Lewistown	Brooke Davis	538-8028
Miles City	April McAuliffe	234-9200
Yellowstone County	Becky Bey	657-3156

Misdemeanor Courts
Court	Contact	Phone
Billings Municipal	Linda Heisler	237-8260 or 657-8490
Kalispell Municipal	Judge Heidi Ulbricht	758-7707
Mineral County	Judge Wanda James	822-3550

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