The 13th Judicial District, comprised of Yellowstone County, is Montana’s busiest judicial district. With approximately 160,000 residents, the 13th Judicial District accounts for nearly one quarter of all felony criminal cases filed in Montana. Yellowstone County is within close proximity to two American Indian reservations, while Montana contains a total of seven reservations. Yellowstone County is situated along the Interstate 90 corridor, which is a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Since 2010 the number of felony filings has doubled. The primary driver increasing these felony filings is drug related activity including drugged driving.
To combat, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and mental health concerns, the 13th Judicial District established a felony DWI court named STEER (Sobriety, Treatment, Education, Excellence, and Rehabilitation), and a Veterans’ Treatment Court named CAMO (Courts Assisting Military Offenders) to address these illnesses. Since inception, STEER has admitted 283 individuals and CAMO has admitted 126 individuals. Each court has an extensive waitlist and receives an average of 15 referrals weekly from across the state, as well as from the Montana Federal District Courts.
The success of STEER and CAMO includes high participant retention, low recidivism rates, as well as, pro-social outcomes and cost-effective service delivery. STEER has been recognized as one of four Academy Court by NHTSA and NADCP’s National Center for DWI Courts. CAMO is a Mentor Court recognized by SAMSHA and NADCP’s Justice for Vets. Capacity and treatment demand remains high. Infrastructure is for expansion is solidly intact.
STEER and CAMO operate under the statewide general jurisdiction of one judge and serve two distinct adult populations on separate weekly dockets. Utilizing the same treatment providers, STEER and CAMO target individuals with high criminogenic risk factors, a predisposition to reoffend, and previous unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation. STEER, established in 2011, serves high-risk felony DUI offenders; felony offenses with a nexus to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol; and occasionally misdemeanor DUI offenders with aggravating factors (high BACs or drug concentrations, high speed pursuits, and/or children involved crashes). With base funding from the Montana Department of Transportation, STEER treats 25 offenders annually. CAMO, established in 2012, serves justice-involved veterans, regardless of their discharge status, active duty members, and their immediate families. The Montana Judicial Brach provides base funding, which allows CAMO to treat 20 clients annually.
STEER and CAMO jointly seek total SAMHSA funding of $1,995,271 for the five-year grant period to: (1) increase court capacity; (2) expand Tele-Services track to rural Montana and Indian Country; (3) enhance the existing MAT treatment program; (4) augment the Continuum of Care; and (5) provide case management and wraparound services to clients.
