Franklin’s Intensive Supervised Probation Docket Program
There are a number of requirements. Just in the three- to five-month first phase to complete that include weekly meetings with Magistrate Gregory Demos and the probation officer, complying with all treatment services and other services directed by the probation department, weekly random and witnessed drug tests, attending Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, getting a sponsor, and 60 consecutive days of clean drug/alcohol tests.
A probationer’s first session is with Demos and court staff to go over each and every paragraph of the eight-page contract, which is initialed by the probationer, and the rules and regulations of being on probation. In addition, there is a drug test as well as education and counseling sessions and follow up meetings.
The contract also requires probationers to waive various Constitutional rights; to have one primary care physician and one authorized pharmacy to obtain prescriptions; to have the court approve whatever medications are prescribed unless it is in an emergency situation; have court approval to use any over the counter medications of any kind, and consent to have the magistrate preside over their case and to be bound with his decisions and orders, including the imposition of sanctions.
Phase two of the program can last six to eight months, while phase three can last 10 to 14 months, according the eight-page contract the probationer signs with the court.
Twenty-five convicted drug offenders in various stages of their addiction battle are part of a six-month-old court-supervised program helping them break the grip of heroin and other drugs.
Franklin Municipal Court's Intensive Supervision Probation Docket, commonly known as "drug court," went into operation Aug. 10. The 18- to 24-month intensive supervised probation program is part of the court's probation program.
Before joining the program, participants are screened and sent for detoxification.
“The drug court program is growing significantly and the medication assisted treatment in conjunction with treatment services and intensive supervision is allowing clients a chance to have success in recovery,” said Candice Carberry, a clinical services provider from Talbert House who works with the court. “…(T)he recovery rates for opiate addicts aren’t very good and participation in a program like this increases their chances immensely.”
Seventy-five percent of drug court graduates remain arrest-free for at least two years after leaving such programs, according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Structured program
On Tuesday morning, before the drug probation docket starts, Magistrate Gregory Demos along with Katie Perdue, the court's chief probation officer, and Carberry, begin reviewing the weekly progress of current participants.
At about 10:30 a.m., eight of the nine participants scheduled for a review arrive and are given drug tests so the court can verify if they are staying clean. About a half-hour later, the ninth participant arrives late for her review. She is given a drug test and must explain her tardiness to the court.
After the drug tests are completed, Demos, Carberry and Perdue enter the courtroom. Each participant is called and takes a seat next to Perdue. Demos greets and asks each one how they were doing that morning and how was their week. He also inquires about their home, work and in some cases, their relationships with significant others. The review is a mechanism to ensure compliance by the participants.
During the conversation, Demos asks about their progress in the program, asks about their sessions with Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, counseling sessions, self-help efforts. After a check with Carberry confirming the treatment aspect and with Perdue to make sure there were no issues to resolve, Demos gives words of praise and encouragement or raises his concerns. Demos told one participant, “from the time you started, you haven’t had any missteps. You have a long way to go, but you couldn’t asked for a better start.”
With some participants, he will have an individual meeting if they missed a review session, didn’t complete self-help assignments, failed a drug test or if Perdue raises some other issue.
Some get advanced to the next phase of the three-phase program; others continue in their current phase. When someone has consistently been clean and is doing a good job, they are rewarded with a gift card donated by an area restaurant.
Those who don’t attend the review or treatment sessions or don’t follow through on assignments could find themselves receiving a sanction that Demos recommends to Judge Rupert E. Ruppert to impose. The sanctions could range from a verbal admonishment to house arrest to day reporting to being sent to jail. Some have been sent to jail, and some have received multiple sanctions.
In addition to complying with all of the required treatment and counseling sessions, self-help, Narcotics Anonymous meetings and weekly review session, most of the participants are trying to find work or hold down a job, finding a place to live and dealing with everyday challenges of life. While most of the participants are receiving Vivitrol shots, there are some in the program who do not get the shot for medical reasons.
Ruppert said most of the costs of the program is covered through the court’s Special Projects Fund, which is portion of court costs charged to defendants. He said Medicaid covers the costs for the Vivitrol shots and state grants awarded to Talbert House and Solutions cover the costs for counseling services.
The participants range in age from the early 20s to the early 50’s with the bulk being between 30 and 40 years of age. Many of them have burned their bridges with family and friends because of previous thefts in order to get money for their drug habits, officials said.
Demos said there are about 30 people in the program and no one has yet to be kicked out, even though six to eight people have been jailed for noncompliance in the program’s first six months.
“We get new people each month,” he said. “Some do extremely well, others have setbacks. Others start slow because it takes time for them to buy-in to the program. We see the ups and downs, it reminds us that it’s going to be a long haul.”
As for his biggest disappointment, Demos said, “probably realizing I can’t fix them very fast or not at all. We try to do what we can do and the challenge is making them believe in themselves again.”
When asked for his biggest impression so far, Demos said watching a person come in after realizing they need help, then watching them go through detoxification and get a Vivitrol shot, then seeing the change in that person is “pretty impressive.”
Making progress, watching transformations in people
That transformation in the participants has also impressed Bailiff Frank Hensley, a veteran law enforcement officer of 40 years.
“I’ve seen the revolving door when someone gets arrested, they get 30 or 180 days in jail where they get treatment, then come out and re-offend,” Hensley said. “They’re here because they have to be here or go to jail. You can see the transition when they start to come around… Now I hate to see them when they mess up.”
Ruppert said he’s been pleased with the program in its first six months but added, “we still have a terrible drug problem” noting that there were 21 overdose deaths, mostly from heroin, within the Franklin Court’s jurisdiction. He said without significant court intervention, heroin is a tough habit to kick.
“Some of them were teetering on the brink of overdosing or dying,” he said. “This is a real relief for them to get into counseling.”
While there are about 30 people in the Franklin program at the six-month mark, Ruppert is well on-track to having as many as 50 people in the program in its first year.
“I think we’re doing well and making progress,” Ruppert said. “We’re giving people hope when they really didn’t have any hope.”
Participants see program as ‘life saving’
One participant that “amazed” Hensley is Jeremy Colyer of Carlisle. Hensley said he knew Colyer professionally through Carlisle police.
“He’s a different guy,” Hensley said. “This was much better than what I wanted to do with him. I wanted to put him jail. He’s really made a turnaround and is turning into a nice guy.”
Colyer, 34, ended up in the program after being convicted for theft so he could get some money for his heroin habit. He said he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 22 and was put on pain medication that led to heroin, which was cheaper to buy. Colyer was recommended for the Vivitrol program through Talbert House.
As of last Monday, Colyer has been clean for four months and credited the Vivitrol shots for taking away the cravings for heroin. He also said the counseling and treatment sessions at Talbert House have helped him to learn what triggers and underlying reasons for substance abuse and learning how to live sober.
“The tough part is finding new people to associate with,” he said.
Fortunately for Colyer, no one in his family has an addiction. He wants to complete the program because his grandparents want to see him sober again.
Colyer, who is not working now, is nearing the end of his current phase and will continue on aftercare.
“I enjoy it (the program),” he said. “It gives you something to do and learn a new way of living. I think the program is good but you can’t do it unless you’re ready to quit drugs and it’s hard to quit on the streets. It’s life-saving because I’m getting off of heroin.”
Kim, a 44-year-old woman from Carlisle, has been in the program since August.
“I saw this as a privilege to get my life back on track,” she said. “They require us to be accountable in the program and the structure is greatly needed.”
Kim is in Phase 2 of the program and is doing part-time clerical work from home. As of this week, she said she will been sober for 11 months.
Starting out in Phase 1, she said her week was busy complying with the programs demands that include checking in with probation three times a week, attending a counseling session once a week plus the weekly review with Demos. “But it’s doable,” she said.
Kim also described the program as “life saving because this group of people are all approachable and that’s important.”
Another participant, Nathan, has been in the program for nearly 100 days as he tries to break a 3½-year heroin habit.
The 42-year-old Middletown man said he was on prescription pain medication after being injured in a fight in 2005. He said a friend brought some heroin by and he found that heroin was cheaper than the prescription pain medication.
He landed in the Franklin program after being arrested for theft at Walmart in order to get money for his heroin habit.
“I like the program,” Nathan said. “I probably would have (overdosed) by now. They offered me a Vivitrol shot three months ago and it’s working.”
Nathan, who isn’t working, said the toughest part of the program was finding transportation to get to classes. He said he goes to classes three times a week in addition to his weekly review session and visit to the probation office as well as attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Nathan just received his 90-day Narcotics Anonymous token, marking that he has stayed clean, or off drugs, for 90 straight days.
He receives a monthly Vivitrol shot and was told he could continue getting the shots after the first year if insurance pays for it.
Nathan is in Phase 1 and is just three weeks away from advancing to Phase 2. While he’s been in the program, Nathan said he’s learned a lot about drug usage and how it’s affected him. He said he’s also learned about the mental issues created by drug usage and said getting the mental health assessment helped to get him on the right medications.
“Hope” is how Nathan describe the program.
“It gives you hope for life and to get back on track,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about drug usage and how its affected me…. If you put your mind to it, there’s help out there but you have to learn how to ask for help.”
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