PORT ANGELES — Clallam County District Court 1 officials are seeking funds to establish a mental health court to stop to the revolving door of recidivism.
The three county commissioners said Monday they would support the Port Angeles-based court and other departments that apply for grants for therapeutic courts to address the underlying causes of criminal behavior.
Clallam County Superior Court has a robust drug court program for adults and juveniles.
District Court 1 Judge Dave Neupert said more therapeutic courts are needed in the county.
“What I’ve been looking at through my participation in the Therapeutic Courts Committee of the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association across the state is what effective models are for mental health courts,” Neupert told commissioners Monday.
“Some operate in superior courts, and quite a few operate within the district courts. So that’s why we’re interested very much in pursuing the feasibility and the funding of that program, because statewide they have proven effective.”
Clallam County launched a juvenile drug court in 1997 and an adult drug court in 1999. Both were spearheaded by retired Superior Court Judge Ken Williams.
Clallam County’s juvenile drug court was the first in the Pacific Northwest, the 12th in the nation and the second in a rural county.
Drug court is a diversion program that gives nonviolent offenders a chance to have their original charges dismissed if they complete a treatment program and stay sober for at least a year.
Mental health courts use a similar model, diverting select defendants with mental illnesses into court-supervised, community-based treatment, according to Washington Courts.
Mental health courts are offered in Jefferson, Benton, Clark, Cowlitz, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima counties.
Neupert said Clallam County Superior Court “certainly has an interest in this issue.”
“We’re not attempting through the District Court to increase anybody else’s workload, or to divert any sort of the use of the local option, the one-tenth of 1 percent (property tax) that’s available for behavioral health services, from other programs that work,” Neupert said.
District Court 1 Administrator Keith Wills asked commissioners for more flexibility in applying for grants to fund therapeutic courts, saying the postings had been delayed this year.
“We’re just trying to do what we can to identify anything that you are comfortable with, or not comfortable with, before that little window is presented to us,” Wills said.
Commissioners encouraged court officials to apply for grants as they become available.
“The merits of what you’re requesting certainly make a lot of sense,” Commissioner Randy Johnson told Wills.
Board Chairman Mark Ozias suggested that Wills work with the finance department on grants that have tight deadlines or require an in-kind contribution from the county.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t just move forward in trusting our team and our process,” Ozias said.
District Court 1 handles misdemeanor cases that arise in central and eastern Clallam County from Lake Crescent to the Jefferson County line.
Forks-based District Court 2 serves the same function for the West End.
Former Cowlitz County defense attorney Bruce Hanify was appointed by commissioners to replace recently retired Clallam County District Court 2 Judge Erik Rohrer.
Hanify, a Forks native, began his new job Monday.
“I have talked with Bruce several times about approaches to the court, and he certainly has experience working through his defense practice with folks that present with substance abuse and mental health challenges,” Neupert said.
“So I know we’re going to have a good working relationship with District Court 2 moving forward.”
Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols also has been an advocate for therapeutic courts.
“It’s helpful to have the prosecutor’s involvement, certainly, because that controls how cases are charged and where they are charged, and a lot of times eligibility for any level of therapeutic court,” Neupert said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
