Ramsey County picnic celebrating treatment courts promotes sobriety, paths forward

On Friday afternoon, dozens of people gathered in Como Park to celebrate clients from Ramsey County’s treatment courts who are working toward sobriety and positive change.

More than 100 gathered under the park’s pavilion for the treatment courts’ 13th annual picnic, including judges, prosecutors and other officials. Barbecue smoke wafted across the pavilion as clients and families ate burgers. Some kids screamed while playing nearby, and others chalked “Welcome” on the pavement. Visitors covered a dry-erase board with affirmations like “Progress, not perfection” and “We believe you are capable of recovering.”

Ramsey County’s four treatment courts, which address mental health, DWI, veterans treatment and adult substance abuse, encourage teamwork among officials to get clients into treatment, monitor their sobriety and ensure court attendance. Some attendees just started their sobriety, celebrating the first of five phases toward graduation from treatment courts. Others have been involved for years; after exiting the justice system, they have returned as mentors. For officials like Judge Nicole Starr, who transferred to family courts after six years in treatment courts, Friday’s event marks progress toward a more hopeful approach to stopping crime.

“The person who stands in court is just the tip of an iceberg of a community … what we want people to start seeing is your life has meaning,” Starr said. “You’re important, and we’re going to help you uncover all those good things so that you’re not doing this out of fear, but you’re doing it out of love for yourself and the people around you.”

Starr hopes that more people statewide have access to this kind of rehabilitative help, adding that treatment courts should be more integrated in the legal system.

“[The data] started to show — especially for substance use disorder — that if we incarcerate people, not only do we not address the underlying issue or the trauma, but we teach people how to be better inmates,” she continued. “To err is human.”

The courts’ results speak volumes for Judge Tim Mulrooney and Judge Tim Carey, who presented sobriety pins and certificates to program graduates. Judge Mulrooney believes it’s rare to see such collaboration across different courts but said such work could improve public safety while decreasing recidivism.

Minnesota State Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten agrees. Oumou Verbeten, a DFLer whose district is in Ramsey County, first learned of the treatment courts during a February graduation for a Veterans Treatment Court client. Since watching the judge, prosecutor, probation officer and other officials celebrate that participant, she hopes to spread the district’s model across Minnesota.

“That’s how it should be … we need more of this where we’re truly working as a team to support someone and turning their life around and making amends,” Oumou Verbeten said. “This is something that is really helping people improve their lives in Ramsey County. Let’s try to do more of this across the state. It takes funding and it takes resources.”

Oumou Verbeten believes residents can help by volunteering as mentors or contacting public officials. But Verbeten said learning about the courts’ clients is important because their stories show how the justice system works.

Tara Sanz is one example. Sanz graduated from the Adult Substance Abuse Court on Friday, stemming tears as her teenage daughter watched from the crowd. Sanz will soon mark two years of sobriety after her assault case mandated weekly drug tests and monthly court cases.

“Every time I’ve been in the eyes of the law, it’s had to do with drugs or alcohol, my addiction,” Sanz said. “I’m very blessed that I was able to get this opportunity.”

To others who are dealing with addiction, she said change starts within.

“Don’t give up on yourself,” Sanz said. “Every time you fall, get back up.”