Some Vermilion County Circuit Court judges say Specialty Programs being used by the court are making a difference in many defendants’ lives. Judges Derek Girton, Karen Wall and Mark Goodwin were guests on WDAN Radio’s Newsmakers program Wednesday (May 29, 2019).
Judge Goodwin oversees a specialty Mental Health Court…
“Typically a court in a correctional system doesn’t really have an effective way to deal with those folks,” said Judge Goodwin. ”And so developing a specialty court with a focus on mental illness allows the court to treat these individuals a bit more appropriately, given their conditions.”
Judge Wall heads Veterans Court sessions in Vermilion County….
”We are not limited to mental health or a substance abuse problem,” said Judge Walls. ”We take both in our court and we are geared toward hopefully resolving some of those underlying issues in order to prevent future crime.”
And Judge Wall adds the Veterans Administration plays a key role in her court cases….
”Our V.A. System, you know, it’s a nationwide system. So if the particular services are not available here,” said Judge Wall, ”they are very, very good at locating the necessary services and getting people there for the treatment that they need.”
Judge Derek Girton says Drug Court has succeeded in getting many lives back on the right track….
”Many of them have already been to the Department of Corrections, and at the Department of Corrections they receive some treatment – but really they’re forced sobriety,” said Judge Girton. ”And so what we’re trying to do is put them in a situation where they’re actually learning the skills to try to stay sober while they’re in the community, and not in a setting where they’re forced to be sober.”
But Judge Girton says defendants who go through the Drug Court program find it is not easy….
”Almost everybody that comes to Drug Court the other option is the Department of Corrections. So they’re asking for Drug Court thinking ‘well, this is going to be a lot easier for me’. And what they quickly find out is the level – the intensity of the services that they’re given – with what they’re being asked to do — almost all of them go through a period in the first couple of weeks say ‘well, I should have just gone to the Department of Corrections, that would have been easier,” said Judge Girton. ”And then after a couple of weeks after that you see: ”O.K. You know what? This really is an opportunity for me to make a change in my life.”’
You can listen to the entire program by going to the homepage of VermilionCountyFirst.com….then look under Vermilion County First on Demand.
[In the photo Judge Girton is on the left, with Judge Wall and Judge Goodwin to his left.]
