Drug court treatment works in Yakima County

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Yakima County Superior Court Judge Ruth Reukauf turns up the heat on an 18-year-old woman who's walking a very precarious line between sobriety and addiction. If she crosses the line, she'll go to trial on a felony charge of theft.

But if she "jumps in the saddle full time," as Reukauf describes the necessary commitment to stay off drugs, this defendant can avoid trial and a possible criminal record.

The young woman has missed two weekly urine tests since completing treatment last month at Sundown M Ranch for addiction to methamphetamine.

Reukauf gives her two sanctions in an attempt to get her back on track: A day of work crew -- something nasty like picking up trash in the heat of the day -- and daily-instead- of-weekly urine and breathalyzer tests.

"I hope this gets your attention," Reukauf says. "If it doesn't, we start to go down a very unpleasant path."

This is the bargain offered by drug court: Nonviolent defendants with substance abuse problems are given a chance to enter treatment instead of facing trial. If they complete the year-long program, the charges are dropped.

*****

What started as an experiment in Yakima County nine years ago has become an established legal alternative with a laudable record. According to drug court administrator Marty Lentsch, defendants who graduate from the program commit another felony 8 percent of the time. That's well below the 68 percent recidivism rate in regular criminal court in Yakima County.

The 8 percent rate is a one-time snapshot taken the first year after participants complete the program and doesn't reflect long-term results. And while there is no tracking system for statewide recidivism rates among drug court defendants, the national recidivism rate runs as low as 4 percent to a high of 20 percent.

Those accepted into drug court complete a treatment program and go through a year of intense supervision by counselors, case managers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and the judge.

The "therapeutic team" has near-veto power over basic decisions in a defendant's life, such as where they live and work and how often they must have their urine tested.

As team member and counselor Steve Cutrell, himself a 2003 drug-court graduate, put it: "We're here to keep them focused and save some lives."

In Yakima County, most defendants -- 85 percent -- who enter the drug court program graduate, and 80 percent of them stay sober, according to the county, which conducts an annual review.

Yakima's program has graduated 200 people so far this year.

Policy experts say the favorable statistics help offset the cost of drug court which, at about $5,500 per defendant, is three times the cost of regular court.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan research group established by the Legislature and based in Olympia, has found that adult drug courts in the state reduce the rate of recidivism by 9 percent.

Washington state has 23 adult drug courts, which first began in the late 1990s when legislators realized that drug crimes were clogging the courts, filling prisons and driving up the costs of the criminal justice system. Over the years, the courts have proven themselves.

"It's pretty high on our list of cost-effective measures," said Steve Aos, assistant director.

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After she took over drug court in January from Judge Robert Hackett Jr., who retired, Reukauf stopped accepting referrals from Yakima County prosecutors and defense attorneys, giving rise to a rumor that drug court was dead.

But Reukauf said she needed to take stock before simply continuing established practices.

Indeed, research shows that drug courts can drift away from their mission without periodic evaluations. Prosecutors and public defenders, too, can "over refer" as a means of reducing their case loads.

Reukauf decided there were too many defendants in the court at any one time, stretching the team's ability to provide the kind of intense, individualized treatment required for the program to be successful.

Under Hackett, there were about 70 defendants. It's now down to 35, and Reukauf is aiming to build up to but not more than 50.

"We came to the conclusion that dealing with smaller numbers was better," she said.

She also reduced the duration of drug court from three years to one year. Dragging cases on for years allowed for too much relapse and noncompliance, in her opinion.

"If people aren't truly putting forth a good effort, they aren't going to be in the program for very long," said Reukauf, who has a reputation as a tough but fair taskmaster.

She said she made the changes in consultation with the team that meets weekly to evaluate the progress of drug court defendants.

"I'm not an expert from the clinical aspect. That's why I rely on these people 100 percent," she said.

Brian Hunt, program manager for the county's alcohol and drug assessment center, said he and his staff who are team members welcomed the changes.

"Judge Reukauf has a different style," Hunt said. "She's very approachable, and when the team feels something should or should not be done, she listens."

The weekly team meetings are led by the judge and last an hour and a half. It's here where counselors, case managers and defense and prosecution lawyers discuss the latest turn in a defendant's behavior -- good and bad -- and discuss what to do about it.

For example, it came to the team's attention that one female defendant was living in supervised housing with a 1 a.m. weekend curfew. (Many defendants who have just completed treatment must live in supervised housing, called "clean and sober.")

The late curfew raised the eyebrows of clinical supervisor Kris McClure, who has been a team member since drug court was founded in 2000.

"What are you doing at 1 a.m. in Yakima? Not so good for someone in recovery," she said.

A note was made to amend the defendant's treatment plan to require an earlier weekend curfew.

Such attention to detail is the hallmark of a successful team, said Jacqueline van Wormer, who is researching drug courts and the role of teams for a doctorate in criminal justice at Washington State University.

"We're trying to determine what makes a high-functioning team and part of it is a high level of knowledge about the client," she said.

While researchers know drug court works, van Wormer said they don't really know why it works, at least not yet.

"The second wave of research is looking at what exactly makes it work. Is it the judge? The treatment? Support? Education?"

*****

As much as she values her team's professional advice, Reukauf is the final decision-maker when it comes to kicking someone out of drug court or guiding them to completion with rewards and sanctions.

She conducts her weekly court session somewhat like a classroom. For example, unlike regular court, no one leaves after their case is heard.

"I want them to pay attention to what's going on in their classmates' lives because you get more buy-in that way. I also want them to know good, bad and ugly," she said.

On a recent day, drug court defendants saw all three. They saw the 18-year-old young woman slapped with sanctions for missing her urine tests.

They watched as defendant Richard Perales was kicked out of drug court -- and marched back to jail to await trial -- for repeatedly using drugs.

And they applauded Gabe Ramos, 36, who is scheduled to graduate in December. Ramos said he was using so much meth that at one point, he had more of the chemical in his veins than blood.

Reukauf gave Ramos a certificate for setting and meeting certain goals and rewarded him with his favorite incentive: a cash card for pizza. A grateful Ramos said later drug court saved his life.

"I'm lucky to be alive," he said.

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.

* If you go

WHAT: Recovery Month 2009 Festival in the Park. Community potluck featuring speakers, food, games, and music by Rod Giles Band, Rule 62 and Lynch Pen.

WHEN: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Franklin Park in Yakima.

FEATURED SPEAKER: Ruth Reukauf, Yakima County Superior Court judge.

MORE INFO: Denise Worley, 509-574-2756.

* Key components of drug court

* Integrate drug treatment with the justice system.

* Nonadversarial.

* Eligible participants identified early in court process.

* Access to a range of treatment and rehabilitation services.

* Frequent monitoring for abstinence.

* Regular interaction between the judge and participant.

* Constant monitoring for effectiveness.

* Coordination with other relevant agencies.

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