York County Common Pleas Judge Craig T. Trebilcock described how the Community Action for Recovery and Diversion-CARD program unites the justice system and those working in mental health and substance abuse treatment to encourage better outcomes and less recidivism for people whose minor offenses stem from a mental illness or addiction.
Trebilcock has had an opportunity to see firsthand how a less punitive, more seamless approach can yield much better results because he also serves as a treatment court judge, working in courts specifically for veterans and for people who have been using opioids. In that setting, he says, connections between the criminal justice and treatment systems are much closer—and outcomes are much better, for everyone concerned.
Typically, he says, the traditional approach to criminal justice involving substance abuse or mental illness results in a success rate of about 45 percent—with the measure of success being whether the person reappears in court after committing a new crime. The success rate for treatment courts, using that same measure, ranges from 80 to 90 percent, he notes.
CARD places a high priority on early intervention—something that Trebilcock says is painfully lacking in the current system. This program located in the Lorretta Claiborne Building on South George Street will evolve and grow to be something he calls a wellness and deferral center, where representatives from many local social services organizations maintain a presence. Under one roof, this center will offer child care, classes, treatment for substance and mental health problems, a place to meet with probation officers, and assistance with employment and housing.
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