Eight participants will graduate Feb. 9 from the 4th Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) Recovery Court, an oversight and monitoring program for eligible offenders with substance use disorders.
Recovery court is a voluntary program that gives alternatives to incarceration and“helps reduce recidivism while protecting the community,” according to a press release from the Colorado Judicial Department. The court requires defendants to finish at least two years of substance use disorder treatment, maintain sobriety, comply with community service and employment requirements, make court appearances and pay fines.
Defendants are referred to the program through multiple avenues, including the public defender’s office, private attorneys and probation officers who think the program would be beneficial for the defendant.
“The goal of Recovery Court is to provide extensive substance use disorder treatment and wrap-around services that are needed to overcome participants’ addiction so that they can be productive members of the community,” said Magistrate Gregory Duncan, who presides over the court, in the press release.
The recovery court from El Paso and Teller Counties was started in 2001 and was the second problem-solving drug court in Colorado. It follows an evidence-based model that has handled criminal cases of substance abusers with a focus on treatment, probation supervision and regular drug testing. There are roughly 70 problem-solving courts in Colorado, including drug courts, mental health courts and DUI courts.
The graduation ceremony is set for 3:30 p.m. in the jury assembly room at the Terry R. Harris Judicial Complex in Colorado Springs.