OPINION: Metro court nationally recognized for specialty courts

At the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, we have the privilege of leading two nationally recognized specialty courts that focus on helping people make real and lasting changes in their lives: the DWI Recovery Court and the Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Court. These programs are designed for individuals whose legal troubles are tied to substance use, and they offer an alternative to the traditional aspects of the criminal justice system. These courts focus on recovery, support and accountability.

Judge Christine E. Rodriguez — DWI Recovery Court: As the judge who presides over the DWI Recovery Court, our team works with individuals who have been arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and are facing serious legal consequences, including incarceration. The ultimate goal of our program is to ensure that these participants graduate the program sober, in active recovery, and most importantly, never return to the court system for another DWI. As a result, our team strives to make our community safer with each participant who successfully graduates.

The DWI Recovery Court is a highly structured program that adheres to national best practices and principles. It gives participants the tools and support they need to get sober and remain in recovery long-term. It includes regular court appearances, drug and alcohol testing, individualized counseling and strict monitoring by a team of professionals, including myself, the judge. Our team includes a program manager, probation officers, treatment providers, case managers and others who work together to ensure each person stays on track.

Participants must meet clear expectations and take responsibility for their actions. At the same time, we treat them with respect and compassion. We recognize that recovery is a process, and we support them through each step. We also recognize that not everyone is willing or equipped to successfully graduate the program. In those instances, they are terminated from the program and sent back to their original judge for sentencing. For the vast majority who successfully graduate the program, we see them grow stronger, reconnect with family, find stable housing, return to school or work and start rebuilding their lives.

Presiding over the DWI Recovery Court is one of the most-rewarding aspects of my job. Often, these are people who once thought they had no way out. Watching them stand in court, sober, proud and surrounded by people cheering them on, is a powerful reminder that recovery is possible.

Judge Renée Torres — Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Court: The Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Court is another treatment program that offers a unique and culturally-respectful path to recovery for self-identified Native Americans who have subsequent DWIs.

As the presiding judge and someone who belongs to the Native community and maintains these strong ties, I know how important it is to incorporate culture and tradition into the recovery process. Our participants, who are high risk and high need, face not only addiction, but also severe trauma, historical and generational challenges, and a loss of connection to their culture.

The Healing to Wellness Court is designed to address these issues using a holistic and cultural values reinforcement approach. This program is not easy; we ask a lot of our participants. They must achieve and maintain sobriety, practice honesty and accountability, and adhere to a strict schedule. But the Healing to Wellness team supports them every step of the way. Participants have intensive supervision and testing, must engage in substance use treatment and participate in groups such as talking circles, cultural enrichment, healing arts, men’s and women’s wellness groups, food as medicine, nature fitness and other ceremonial support, such as sweat lodge. All of these are designed to encourage and support a culturally-appropriate and healthy lifestyle. We have found that using a cultural values reinforcement approach is a powerful source of strength for our participants’ recovery journey.

It has been amazing to see this program become a community within itself that supports our participants. Although it is a struggle, with ups and downs, we inevitably see the most remarkable changes in our participants. Their confidence builds, they gain a new lease on life, set goals for themselves, gain hope for a better future and no longer feel alone. Most importantly, they rebuild trust with their families and are able to engage in a more positive way with their communities.

Treatment court and commitment to change

Both the DWI Recovery Court and the Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Court are grounded in the same belief: that people can change if they are given the right support.

These courts reduce repeat offenses, improve public safety and, most importantly, help people rebuild their lives. We focus on long-term success not just short-term punishment.

At Metro Court, we believe that justice should also include hope. These programs work because they treat people with dignity while holding them accountable. Every graduation, every person who walks away from addiction, and every family that is brought back together shows us that this work matters.

We are committed to continuing and growing these programs and often look for ways to reach others before they find themselves in the criminal justice system. During national treatment month, we invite our community to Metro Court’s Resource Day on Thursday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in our outdoor courtyard. Dozens of local service providers will be on-site, and past and present specialty court participants will share their stories, hoping to inspire the next.

With support from the community, service providers and our justice partners, we will keep walking alongside those who are ready to make a change.

Recovery is possible. We see it every day.