Wisconsin Treatment Courts
Wisconsin Treatment Courts
Brown County, as with many other counties throughout Wisconsin and throughout the country, has developed numerous alternative treatment courts in recent years. Specifically in Brown County, there are currently five separate treatment courts focusing on specific issues—drug, mental health, OWI, veterans, and heroin. The first program created was the drug court in 2009, and the programs have expanded in the years since to their current state.
Criminal defendants that can meet certain criteria, such as being a county resident and having a non-violent past record, among other requirements, can apply to become a part of one of the treatment courts. If accepted, the participant meets regularly with a team of individuals from various parts of the court system and social services providers to ensure progress and accountability. The participant will need to complete a number of different stages, and the entire process generally takes around 18 months to complete. The participants are also generally placed on probation through the court system. If the participant gets into trouble while in the program, they may face sanctions, such as spending a short time in jail or having their rules modified, or in more extreme circumstances they can be removed from the program and have their probation revoked, which would often lead to further incarceration.
Data has shown that the recidivism rate is lower for participants in these programs in comparison to the traditional criminal court system. If you have been charged with a crime, one important part of the evaluation of the case can be looking into specific resources that are available within that county. An attorney that is familiar with these local programs can help prepare an application and guide you into a program that might be significantly more beneficial for you in the long-term than simply going through the normal criminal court process.
If you have been charged with a crime in Northeast Wisconsin, call Petit & Dommershausen, S.C. at (920) 739-9900 for a free phone consultation regarding your case.