A new drug court project is being launched with the phrase "someone in Sylvania cares,” a message that at least two judicial officials describe as a unifying one.
The Sylvania Municipal Court Specialized Drug Docket program is the first of its kind for a municipal court system in Lucas County. Judge Michael Bonfiglio and magistrate Christy Cole said they hope it won't be the last.
The program in Sylvania has two unusual aspects. First, it is aimed at substance abusers who have been pulled into the municipal court system and face misdemeanor charges rather than felonies.
"People's first exposure is usually at our level," said Judge Bonfiglio, adding that the program aims to divert people from becoming further embroiled in the court system.
The program’s second hallmark is a community-based effort to address underlying problems to sobriety, including education and work, mental health support, and family counseling as well as stable, sober housing, and transportation.
"This is going to be much more difficult than going to jail for some people," lawyer Austin Klapp said.
One of his clients was among the first admitted into the program that received its final certification in December.
"It is good Sylvania is doing this,” Mr. Klapp said. “Let's stop the revolving door now. Let's make the effort. Simply sentencing people does not solve the underlying problem."
Judge Bonfiglio listed nine treatment providers. They are devoting time to the Sylvania program and much of that coordination time is volunteered.
"It takes a lot of resources. It takes a creative court to do this," Mr. Klapp said. "The good news is, for the client, if he completes the program, the charges are gone, and, for the community, you get folks who are less likely to commit criminal acts in the future."
A drug court exists at the county level. It’s through the general division of Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
The Sylvania court is currently working with four individuals. Two more have been admitted and will begin taking part in the programming this month. However, criteria for entrance are very specific, and 25 who were screened for participation were not eligible, Ms. Cole said.
Potential participants have to be facing charges in which the alleged offense, often theft, has an underlying cause of addiction. In other words, the accused person stole to support a habit. But such crime may not have involved violence, weapons, drug trafficking, or a sexually oriented offense.
"Many offenders have drug and alcohol problems. It is one of the foundation stones of most criminal issues," Mr. Klapp said.
When there is evidence to convict, that is the time for a serious conversation with a client, he said. All options are put on the table and Sylvania's drug court is a new alternative.
"They have to start dropping clean almost immediately" if sobriety is the choice, Mr. Klapp said. "They have to dry out. This can be a major event to someone who has been an addict for years."
Participants must plead guilty to the relevant charges upon admission to the program. Judge Bonfiglio will put sentencing on hold so a customized program may be completed, including in-patient and out-patient commitments. Upon successful completion plus payment of a $250 fee and court costs, the case is sealed.
But if the follow-through falls short, participants are sentenced for their convicted counts.
"The drug epidemic transcends all socioeconomic levels. It does not single out one group of people," Ms. Cole said. "Investment in these kinds of programs saves taxpayer money in the long run."
The new Sylvania drug court is part of a nationwide trend that began years ago and has been showing promising results. Research published in 2012 in the Journal of Criminal Justice documented a drop in the recidivism rate of 38 percent to 50 percent and lasting at least three years in comparison to those who did not participate in a drug court program.
"We are early in the program," Ms. Cole said. "To see the system working in a way it has never worked before is exciting. There is a switch in the thinking of the criminal justice system. It is a difference maker. It is exciting to be at this point."
Sylvania's program is taking research beyond recidivism rates into account as well.
A study published in the Victims & Offenders journal in 2019 documents the importance of a judge's involvement in any drug court. It is a finding that Judge Bonfiglio, who is entering his sixth year in office, takes seriously.
"He cares for the people in this program," Ms. Cole said of the judge. "Nobody is just a number here."
Judge Bonfiglio said he takes time for face-to-face interaction with participants throughout the many months of the program.
"Being there with the judge is effective. If people sense you care, that is a big deal," the judge said.
As a result, he expects the program to make an impact on the community and hopes drug dockets might be adopted by other municipal courts in Lucas County.
“I think I will have to cap it at some point. I expect it to be that popular," Judge Bonfiglio said.
First Published January 8, 2023, 7:48 p.m.
