First Person: Justice for Juveniles

By Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr. 

As Chief Judge at Rhode Island Family Court since 1987, I am dedicated to the improvement of justice services for our children and families.

Over the years, the Family Court has seen an ever-increasing number of cases, including more than 9,000 juvenile offenses per year, a significant percentage of which involve diagnosed or suspected substance abuse or mental health issues. Responding to this growing caseload, I introduced several specialty court programs. Two of these, The Rhode Island Juvenile Drug Court and Family Treatment Drug Court, have revolutionized the manner in which substance abuse cases for both juveniles and adults are now handled by Family Court.

These programs combine the persuasive powers of the court with the therapeutic regimen of treatment. This combination fosters rehabilitation while providing participants with a sense of accountability for their actions. Our programs provide constructive and intensive court supervision, and, when necessary, extensive substance abuse and/or mental health treatment, as well as educational and employment services. The use of rewards and sanctions encourage participants to progress and succeed.

Our Juvenile Drug Court was instituted in 1999, and offers treatment as an alternative to incarceration. We now have more than 550 graduates. It is due to the dedication, commitment and collaboration of community partners, such as Phoenix House, that we have achieved this level of success. Phoenix House’s Juvenile Drug Court staff is to be commended for their professionalism and the personal touch they bring to each case. I feel we are very fortunate to have Phoenix House in Rhode Island and as a friend of the Court.

Our Re-Entry Court, supervising the reintegration of incarcerated juveniles into the community, was created in October, 2003. This collaborative effort has allowed the court to monitor the progress of juveniles returning to their home communities, and offer them the support they need to get their lives back on track.

The Family Treatment Drug Court was created in 2002. The purpose of this program is to protect infants and children whose health and welfare may be endangered by parental substance abuse. Through the work of this program, we aim to strengthen the family unit and promote responsible parenting. The program has been a great success, and we are currently serving 197 children, with 137 adults enrolled in the program.

These specialty court approaches are demonstrable, replicable and cost-effective. Drug courts coerce habitual drug offenders into tough, no-nonsense treatment programs as a condition of probation. The progress of participants is monitored on a weekly basis, which allows us to quickly respond to program failure and success. The cost of services participants receive in these programs, along with intensive judicial supervision, are minimal compared to the thousands and thousands of dollars per client that it would cost the Department of Children, Youth and Families or the Department of Corrections if these young people were in their care.

During my tenure, I will continue to work tirelessly and remain committed to doing all I can to ensure that every child and family that comes before the Rhode Island Family Court receives services that are appropriate, accessible, and cost effective.