Muskegon Co. drug addicts who commit serious crimes to get special court help

mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2018/11/recovery_court_expansion_to_he.html

Vanderhyde said the judge behind the HOPE program recently visited Muskegon because the county has one of the most robust Swift & Sure Sanctions programs in the state. The judge advised Vanderhyde to expand the probation system if drugs are the cause for repeat violations.
“If they’re not successful (in regular probation or Swift & Sure), it’s likely because they have a drug addiction,” Vanderhyde said. “And sure enough, that’s what we found.”
Since the 14th Circuit Court adopted the Swift & Sure Sanctions model in 2015, Vanderhyde said at least seven probationers died from drug overdoses while working through the system.

Shiawassee Co. judge places probation violator in Swift and Sure program

argus-press.com/news/news_local/article_87bbbc90-d691-5bc2-bc35-9e319bf3d722.html

Quinn apologized before being sentenced. “I apologize to you [Judge Stewart], and to the court for violating probation.”
“When DOC discovered you,” Stewart said, “What happened was that you were on a work detail in boot camp and you were hiding in a bush. They had thought that you were trying to escape, right?
“Your probation agent concludes that you weren’t trying to escape, that you were too lazy to try to escape. You just didn’t want to work. That’s probably true, isn’t it? As a result, you were discharged from the program and you were back here,” Stewart said. “Now, if we put you in Swift and Sure, I mean, that’s a tough program. Monday morning at 8 a.m. you’re to be at (Swift and Sure office), waiting to get in.”

Shiawassee Co. judge sends man to prison for probation violations

argus-press.com/news/community/corunna/article_e5dff29b-16a2-595c-8621-ee837bf1df6d.html

Lostracco said, “you were placed in the Swift and Sure program. I’m sure that Judge Stewart went over the terms of that with you at great length. Obviously, it was to give you some guidance and motivation to make it through successfully, and you wouldn’t have to be facing this day, where there is now a recommendation from the prosecution for incarceration…

Cass Co. man gets back-to-back prison sentences

leaderpub.com/2018/12/24/local-man-gets-back-to-back-prison-sentences-in-berrien-cass

Cass Circuit Judge Mark Herman noted that Roden had been given a chance in 2016 to take part in drug treatment court through the Swift & Sure probation program.
“But you went back and relapsed,” he said. “We gave you the tools but when the urge came to take drugs, you didn’t take advantage of them. … You’re 37 years old, and old enough to understand the consequences but also young enough to get out of prison and enjoy the rest of your life.”
Roden apologized for messing up the opportunity he had been given to stay out of prison.
“This is a sad day for Mr. Roden,” defense attorney Greg Feldman said. “He was in Swift & Sure. Unfortunately it didn’t stick. I have hope for him. He will come out young enough to enjoy a drug free life.”

Cass. Co. man revoked for tampering with monitoring device

leaderpub.com/2019/01/22/break-in-results-in-probation

In a probation violation sentence, a Cassopolis man had his probation revoked and was sentenced to jail.
John Rolland Smith, Jr., 35, of Marcellus Highway in Cassopolis, pleaded guilty to violating his probation from an October conviction for tampering with an electronic device as a habitual offender. He had his probation revoke and was ordered to serve 365 days in jail. He has credit for 224 days already served.
Smith violated his Swift & Sure probation by exhibiting threatening and intimidating behavior. His past record includes prison sentences for resisting and obstructing police and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle said she felt Smith should be sent back to prison. “He’s not listening to people and following through,” she said. “Now he’s threatening others.”
Feldman said Smith is finally ready to deal with “his demons” including his substance abuse. He called Smith an intimidating figure physically and said he needs to learn how to better deal with his anger.

Using Certainty and Celerity to Deter Crime: Insights from an Individual-Level Analysis of 24/7 Sobriety

The ability to deter rule violations is based on the certainty, celerity, and severity of punishment for noncompliance; however, a disproportionate share of public policies and program evaluations focus on severity. In this paper, we evaluate a large-scale effort to significantly increase certainty and celerity of sanction for an offense while keeping severity low: South Dakota’s 24/7 Sobriety Program (hereinafter, 24/7). 24/7 is a criminal justice intervention requiring those arrested for or convicted of an alcohol-related offense (e.g., driving under the influence, domestic violence) to abstain from alcohol and be tested for alcohol multiple times per day. Those testing positive for alcohol or missing a test are subject to a swift, certain, and moderate sanction, typically a night or two in jail. From 2005 through February 2017, more than 30,000 unique South Dakotans participated in 24/7. To estimate the causal effect of 24/7 on the probability of being arrested or having probation revoked, we use program availability in a county as an instrument for individual participation. The results show that 24/7 participation had a large effect on criminal behavior: We estimate that the probability a 24/7 participant was rearrested or had probation revoked 12 months after being arrested for driving under the influence was 49 percent lower than that of non-participants (p = 0.002). We also detected reductions at 24 and 36 months—35 percent (p = 0.013) and 26 percent (p = 0.009), respectively. These results provide evidence that it is possible to create a credible and effective deterrent threat on a large scale by prioritizing both certainty and celerity of sanction.

Rethink opioid addiction treatment to save lives in New Jersey

njreentry.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Published_9_24.pdf

Funded by a $245,500 grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance through the New Jersey State Parole Board, the two-year study will give parolees who are addicted to opioids or have been addicted in the past and overdose or test positive for opioids the option of enrolling in the program or facing normal sanctions for a drug violation. Those who opt in will be assigned a recovery coach and connected to medically assisted treatment through the Reentry Corp.’s Toms River office. Their overall addiction and medical progress will be tracked and compared with that of those who don’t opt in.
“We’re tired of losing lives,” Josie White, the Reentry Corp. social worker who is administering the program, said, noting that the hope is to work with about 75 parolees over the course of two years.

Yolo Co. (CA) Probation Department gets federal grant for pilot program

Flash incarceration is a way to hold probationers accountable for their actions without disrupting any progress they may have made, Gayton said. Instead of being locked up for a long stretch of time and likely losing their jobs or living situations—they serve a short sentence and can be subject to additional requirements by their probation officer.
Yolo County probation officials say that no one has refused a flash incarceration in the seven years since they implemented it.
With the pilot program, the probation office wants to introduce this practice to the mandatory supervision and felony populations.