OPINION: Treatment courts have helped Alaskans for 25 years

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The public is invited to join us on Thursday, May 30th for the 25th anniversary celebration of the Anchorage Mental Health Court, Alaska’s first treatment court. Please come to the Alaska Supreme Court Courtroom on the 5th floor of the Bonney Courthouse in downtown Anchorage at 3:30 pm. A reception will follow in the Law Library on the 1st floor of the Bonney Courthouse.

Twenty-five years ago, Anchorage’s Mental Health Court was one of only three in the country. Created by Chief Judge Elaine Andrews under Executive Order 3AN-99-02 as the “Specialized Mental Health Court Project,” this new court had five main objectives: (1) to protect public safety, (2) to reduce the inappropriate incarceration of mentally ill offenders and promote their welfare, (3) to reduce the burden on the Department of Corrections from mentally ill inmates, (4) to reduce recidivism among mentally ill offenders, and (5) to reduce the admission of mentally ill offenders to psychiatric hospitals.

To achieve these goals, Anchorage’s Mental Health Court worked as a partnership that included the Alaska State Court System, the Alaska Department of Corrections, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, and more than 20 local law enforcement, social service, and public safety agencies and organizations.

Judge Andrews’ order specifically acknowledged that the failure to provide adequate services to these individuals has created a “revolving door of clinical and legal recidivism” among those suffering from mental illness. Additionally, the order acknowledged the need for a more humane approach to diverting mentally ill defendants from overcrowded prisons and jails to community treatment, the financial and administrative burdens on the Department of Corrections, the need for specialized and trained mental health court judges, and the need for overall coordination of courts, agencies, and mental health resources.

The order appointed Judges Stephanie Rhodes and John R. Roff as the first judges of the new Anchorage Mental Health Court. Judge Rhodes was also tasked with coordinating with law enforcement, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and mental health agencies, including the Department of Corrections. Initially, the program was funded by the Mental Health Trust Authority for three years for up to 40 eligible defendants.

The good news is that initial reports have shown that people who participated in treatment programs as part of mental health courts were much less likely to be arrested again or committed to an Alaska psychiatric hospital than those who did not participate.

Twenty-five years later, there are 17 specialized treatment courts across Alaska, including felony drug and alcohol courts for justice-involved individuals with substance abuse disorders, mental health courts, veterans courts, health courts, and tribal health to healing courts. All of these diverse yet related treatment court programs help save lives, reduce incarceration, and increase public safety.

May is National Drug Court Month, so let’s celebrate Alaska’s success in developing these life-saving courts and thank our legislators, judges, court staff, corrections departments, and the many other supportive community organizations and individuals.

Janet McCabe He is a member of the Partners for Progress board of directors.

Doreen Schenkenberger He is CEO of Partners for Progress.

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