The Pathway to Recovery Program is an intensive, post-plea, pre-sentencing drug court program that treats the participant’s drug addiction and co-occurring mental health issues, as well as the participant’s criminal way of thinking, in the participant’s own environment, not in the sterile confines of a rehabilitation facility, hospital or jail. The program team is composed of a judge, public defender, treatment provider, state’s attorney, program officer, and program coordinator. The team utilizes evidence based practices based upon decades of research into human psychology to craft a treatment plan and a case management plan for each participant and ensures that the participant complies with these plans.
Behavior is shaped through the use of immediate punishment, rewards, and therapeutic responses. Criminal thinking is changed through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy. The program consists of five phases and is a minimum of 18 months in duration.
The mission of the Pathway to Recovery Program is to rehabilitate and reduce recidivism of individuals in the criminal justice system that are substance dependent or that are substance dependent and suffer from a co-occurring mental health disorder. This program strives to provide community protection with cost effective, integrated continuation of care through treatment and community resources. This program seeks to assist participants with long-term sobriety and mental stability to allow them to become law-abiding citizens and to successfully reintegrate into the community.
The Pathway to Recovery Program is currently offered to eligible persons in Perry and Washington Counties. To be eligible for the Pathway to Recovery Program a person must be assessed at a moderate to high risk to reoffend, and have a substance use disorder that is treatable with the program’s available resources. All participants must be at least 18 years of age, a resident of Perry or Washington County, a United States citizen or legal resident, and have a pending eligible felony or a pending Petition to Revoke in a current eligible felony case in Washington or Perry County. All participants must receive approval from the Court prior to admission. No person will be excluded from the program based on their gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, limited English proficiency, disability, socio-economic status or sexual orientation.
Drug Court Coordinator
Beth Cassity
bcassity@perrycountyil.gov
