I recently attended a session of the DWI Court and viewed the court process.
As a resident, I was thoroughly impressed with the effectiveness of the process. As a corrections professional, I had to ask: What has taken us so long?
Crime -- whether it's DWI, theft, armed robbery or sexual assault -- takes a toll on our society. It reduces our ability to trust, it takes away our freedoms, and it is enormously costly. If crime creates such a deficit in our country, we have to ask: What alternative options are available? And, Are we brave enough to advocate for an alternative to our traditional court process?
I say we must be brave enough.
Many offenders are held accountable for crimes through incarceration in local jails or prisons. Most of them -- 95 percent of them -- return to our communities. They become our neighbors. It behooves us to look at alternatives to our current justice system, and it behooves us to review our definition of accountability.
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Time and again, studies show that diversion programs such as DWI Court hold people accountable and are a better answer to the recidivism dilemma.
Personally and professionally, I have lived on both sides of the argument over what it means to hold people accountable. It is not an easy question to answer. I have seen the harm caused by crime and criminal behavior. I have witnessed offenders showing up for meetings, sitting in the backs of the rooms and working only minimally toward treatment goals. I too have thought that prison must be the only answer.
As I continue to educate myself and volunteer as an advocate for restorative justice and alternative sentencing, I see great benefit to continuing the exploration and the work within this philosophy of responding to crime.
The court I viewed promoted accountability and offered opportunities for clients to understand the impacts and the harm created by their personal choices. The court also created an amazing network of support clients could utilize when difficulties arise. I saw smiles that were rewarded. I heard concerns that were addressed. And I saw a coming together of community folks -- not roles or positions, but community -- all supporting each other through challenges, hopes and accomplishments.
Accountability and restoration of crime are pivotal factors in the work of a court. The work being done in the St. Louis County DWI Court addresses these pivotal factors at a different level. It seeks restoration, the restoration of the offender through early intervention, monitoring and treatment. It seeks accountability through the acknowledgement that harm has been caused and that actions are required to change destructive behavior.
The revolving door in our criminal justice system can move more slowly if we advocate for and work toward accountability and restoration of crime by coming together in this supportive framework.
If you are a part of this court process, I applaud you. If you are not, please spend a day with the DWI Court. Questions and theoretical debates around the issues of accountability, effectively meeting the needs of victims, rehabilitation, preventing crime, and offenders re-entering communities are for all of us to discuss.
Laraine Lekander of Moose Lake has been a corrections professional for 15 years.
