Bryan Hamilton was abused and drugged as a pre-teen.In his teens, he started using heroin, spent 16 years in prison, and had an ongoing addiction. He has been sober for seven years now.
Desiree Voshefsky developed a drug addiction later in life. Her addiction led to homelessness and prison time.
Brent DeWyer began using drugs and alcohol at a young age to cope with his mother’s death and unstable home life. That led to a life of addiction. After 32 years of active addiction, he has been sober for 4 years.
What do these three Tucsonians have in common? All three graduated from Pima County’s drug treatment program, giving them the chance to live a rich life instead of prison life.
What are drug courts and DTAPs?
The Pima County Drug Court and Drug Treatment Alternative Prison Program are two separate programs with different screening processes aimed at reducing recidivism in drug-related offenders.
The former is administered by the Pima County Superior Court and the Office of Adult Probation, while the latter is administered by the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
DTAP is for people with jail-only plea deals, while drug courts have a separate review process and are for people with probationable plea deals.
In 34 states, including Arizona, 70% of drug offenders were rearrested within five years of their release, according to 2017 U.S. Department of Justice data.
“These programs save lives. They improve family relationships, financial independence, stable housing, mental health, and lead to sustained drinking. We will deal with individuals who come in,” said Narrin Jablo, director of the Specialized Courts Program at the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
Both programs offer a range of drug treatment services to people suffering from substance use disorders and facing incarceration. Treatment services include long-term and short-term home care and intensive outpatient care. Both programs include wraparound services such as regular court appearances, urinalysis, workforce skills development, medical services and housing assistance.
Pima County is just one of many counties in the state that have drag courts and other specialized courts. The Maricopa County Adult Drug Court Program has been in operation since 1992. His 2022 annual report for that county said the county had a 72% success rate and had 296 active participants at the end of the year.
All other counties, including Yavapai, Cochise, etc., have drug courts or other specialized courts.
These types of courts are especially important as the fentanyl crisis spreads throughout Arizona and the country. Manufactured and distributed, contributing to an increase in drug overdoses fatalities (number).
Jabro said fentanyl makes it difficult for people to engage in therapy while not in custody. Mental health conditions also make treatment difficult, as people with depression find it difficult to trust someone or to be in a group setting like residential treatment.
More than 2,000 Arizonas will die from opioid overdoses in 2021, according to the Arizona Department of Health, and fentanyl is the most commonly reported drug in opioid overdoses.
kindness made a difference
For Desiree Voshefsky, 41, it was the support and kindness of the drug court judge and her probation officer that made the difference.
Boszewski was facing prison time for the third time on drug-related charges when he was offered the opportunity to participate in the county’s drug court program.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do on the drag court. They said, ‘You’re on probation.’ I was like, ‘Where do I sign?’ ‘ said Boszewski.
She said she felt supported by the drug court judge and probation officer.
“She’s a completely different type of probation officer,” Boszewski said, noting how much she cares about Boszewski’s well-being.
Voshefsky first attended an inpatient care program and then moved to a modest residence where she undertook an intensive outpatient program and participated in group sessions on topics ranging from drug use to relapse prevention. When she was ready, she moved into her own apartment and found her job at Quik Mart. She used the skills she learned in the program to help people struggling with addiction. She currently works as a Correctional Health Supervisor for Community Health Services.
Boszewski reiterated that without a mandated drug treatment program, she would likely end up in jail again. I want to break
“We’re seeing a lot of change in the system in terms of how probation and parole look at drug use disorders,” she said, noting that the more people talk about these issues, the more changes are being made to the criminal justice system. He added that it is likely that
“Change will come from people who are recovering now,” she said.
“You get what you put in”
DeWire, 49, remembers being in front of a drug court judge and hearing her tell him she would put him in a safe place. A drug addict, he then went to prison, detoxed, and went through stages of withdrawal. He weighed 116 pounds when he went to jail, and 152 pounds when he was treated 74 days later.
DeWire struggled with addiction for 32 years. Eventually, he got to the point where he didn’t want to get high anymore, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to stop, he said.
“I didn’t want to get high anymore, so drug court was a blessing for me,” he said.
Since graduating from DTAP, he has started a home repair business and has spent most of his life helping people struggle with addiction.
“I don’t need to get high today because of the drag court and (12-step) program I’m working on,” he said.
Just minutes before being interviewed by the Arizona Republic, he said he saw someone outside. He spoke with the man and gave him his phone number in case he needed help quitting drinking.
For DeWire and many others in recovery, helping someone with an addiction or working with sobriety is a big part of recovery.
“They gave me a chance”
Hamilton, 41, stumbled upon drug therapy as an alternative to the Pima County prison program.
He struggled with a drug addiction that began when he was 12 years old after years of abuse. His drug use ultimately led to a 16-year prison sentence.
“I got out of prison in 2015 because of my drug habits, if not worse,” he said. However, he soon received new charges, and in preparing to return to prison, his wife persuaded him to sober up first.
While in rehab, he met people in drug treatment programs and constantly asked one of the probation officers if he could join the program.
Hamilton said he was ineligible for the program due to previous charges involving possession of a lethal weapon. Hamilton credits this to his initiative to detox and rehab on his own accord. He also wrote a letter asking everyone he met to allow him to participate in the program.
“I have told the judges and everyone involved not to let them or myself down if they give me a chance,” he wrote in an email.
He successfully completed the program and has been helping people struggling with addiction ever since. He currently works as a Substance Abuse Counselor at Community Medical Services.
Hamilton embodies the message he teaches the community. There is hope and people can be better.
“Some people are grappling with a lifetime of addiction and a lifetime of homelessness,” he said, adding that people shouldn’t judge others by their past.
The numbers show that these programs really work
Jabro said treatment courts work to reduce recidivism and improve the quality of life for those involved, as well as their families and communities, if best practices are followed.
It also saves taxpayers money.
A 2007 study by the U.S. Department of Justice in Portland, Oregon, which looked at the impact of drug courts over a 10-year period, found that drug courts lowered recidivism rates and saved taxpayers more than $9 million over 10 years. I understand.
According to Jabro, a third-party report analyzing the program in 2017 found taxpayers saved 36 percent when criminals participated in DTAP, for a total savings of $17,336 per person. Other benefits of the program that have not been analyzed include reduced crime, increased tax revenue, and reduced spending on child welfare services.
The Treatment Court examines “why people enter the criminal justice system to address underlying needs with treatment and resources.”
Other treatment courts in Pima County include the Mental Health Tribunal, the Consolidated Misdemeanor Tribunal, the Veterans Affairs Tribunal, and the Domestic Violence Tribunal.
Some of the county’s treatment courts are funded by federal grants and provide residential treatment when not covered by insurance, temporary housing assistance in a settled living home, and litigation management, clinical We offer services such as screening and wraparound services.
Jabro also said how people interpret drug addiction guides how it is treated.
“If we view SUD (substance abuse disorder) as a moral problem, we treat it as such through punishment,” she wrote. and put individuals on the road to recovery through rehabilitation.”
Hundreds of participants have graduated from drag courts since 2005 and DTAP has been offered since 2010.
In 2022, DTAP had 24 successful cases, 5 people abandoned the program and 2 people were fired. A total of 59 participants are currently participating in the program. In January, 16 participants graduated from both programs.
To contact the Pima County Drug Court, contact Judge Teresa Godoy at 520-724-3242. To contact the county attorney’s office about DTAP, please email us. info@pcao.pima.gov Or by phone at 520-724-5600.
Please contact the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.
Covers Southern Arizona azcentral.com In the Arizona Republic, it is jointly funded by the nonprofits Report for America and The Republic.
