By Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal
She never thought she would make it this far.
Four years ago, Jeralyn Nuby came before Johnson County Superior Court 2 Judge Peter Nugent, charged with dealing a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony. She pled guilty, and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
But Nuby entered a purposeful incarceration program in 2019, and her sentence was suspended to roughly five-and-a-half years, most of which would be served on probation. She served 180 days on work release, followed by another 180 days of GPS monitoring.
Last year, the Edinburgh resident successfully completed the program, which allowed her to request her sentence be modified.
She was moved to the reentry court, which is supervised by Nugent.
The reentry court allows the local justice system to work collaboratively with community stakeholders to create a lasting change for those who have addictions, reduce the tendency of offenders to reoffend and keep the county safe.
It takes an army
The court, one of 11 reentry courts in the state, is run out of Johnson County Superior Court 2.
Six people have graduated so far from the two-year Indiana Supreme Court-certified program, and about 30 are involved now.
Most of the participants and graduates are recovering addicts who have served time in the Indiana Department of Correction for drug crimes. They enter the program with the goal of getting clean for the rest of their lives and avoiding reoffending. The program also helps them get jobs.
The reentry court was established in 2018 as a problem-solving court, which involved specialized proceedings within the criminal justice system that try to address the underlying problems that can contribute to certain criminal offenses.
Many of the participants in the court were imprisoned for drug crimes, but it is not just limited to those crimes. Participants are required to successfully complete Recovery While Incarcerated, an addiction recovery program in the Indiana Department of Correction. The program accepts offenders whose criminality appears connected to their addiction, or offenders who continue to commit crimes related to their addiction, said Brandi Foster Kirkendall, court administrator.
The judge works closely with a community service team to develop a plan and monitor the participants. Among those involved are prosecutors, probation officers, law enforcement, defense attorneys, community corrections and treatment providers.
The reentry court does not receive any extra money from the county for its program. The county’s general fund pays the salaries of probation and field officers, but they were either already employed by the county and shifted their work schedules, or have other duties. The program is mostly volunteer driven, Kirkendall said.
The program has received state grants. Both this year and last year, the program received two $10,000 grants to help with the program’s expenses, such as prizes that are given out to those who are succeeding.
Treatment model that works
It is not your typical court proceeding, but everything discussed is on the record.
The group gathered July 14 in Superior Court 2 for the weekly proceedings. Nugent played a game of music trivia with the participants. At one point during the proceedings, he deliberately mispronounced the name of DaBaby, a rap artist, by pronouncing it as “DaBahby,” which he and the participants got a kick out of. Some of them think of him as a grandfather, so he likes to have a little fun, he said.
The dress code is more relaxed compared to what most wear in courtrooms. Nugent donned a shirt, tie and slacks. The participants wore more casual clothes.
Each participant provided an update on how they’re doing. Some had the option to put their names in a drawing for prizes. Participants who make payments toward their court fees and are in good standing are able to participate. Prizes include gift cards and a court pass, which is essentially a hall pass for court.
Once all the participants have spoken, the proceedings are adjourned.
The program includes four phases, each lasting about six months.
When someone completes a phase, they receive a certificate, Kirkendall said.
During Phase 1, participants are on home detention and work release. By the time they make it to Phase 3, participants’ treatments could decrease, they no longer have to be on home detention and their court appearances decrease to every other week from weekly. A participant graduates at the end of Phase 4.
Participants can also be demoted phases as their circumstances change. It usually doesn’t come as a surprise, as beating addiction can be tough. When this happens, they have to stay in the program longer than the predicted two-year timeline, Kirkendall said.
All of the participants take drug tests regularly, and undergo intensive therapy. They are also expected to attend addiction meetings, and if they miss one, they can be sanctioned by the court, she said. For example, if a participant is late, then they could also receive a sanction and have to do community service. Other types of sanctions the court has used involve having participants write essays or show up early to their next court date.
If a participant’s behavior is more severe, then the consequences are more severe.
A lot of the participants had basic expectations about how they were doing. Most are doing much better than they realize, Nugent said.
“This treatment model works,” he said.
Recovery is the priority
Nuby’s favorite part of the program is the people involved.
“It’s like they truly want to see us succeed. It’s a great group of people from the county helping us,” she said.
Without the program, she would not have a job at Koi Grill and Sushi Bar in Columbus. She started there last December, right after she finished work-release, she said.
Nuby also became the leader of an addiction recovery group, something that would not have been possible if she was still in prison. Recover Out Loud is a recovery non-profit organization that strives to create an active, recovering community that unites various pathways to recovery. They have groups in Columbus, Edinburgh and Franklin, which is where Nuby is a group leader.
She also would not be looking forward to going back to school. She is still trying to choose a major, though, she said.
Nuby’s story is not unique. Many of the reentry court participants have said the program is beneficial and helped them secure jobs.
Many outside visitors have attended the weekly proceedings. Kirkendall’s father has attended the program and was so intrigued by it, he now attends the proceedings regularly. Local government officials have also attended.
The problem-solving court is no longer the only one in the county. Earlier this month, the Circuit Court started one for its Adult Drug Court, supervised by Judge Andy Roesener. Plans for a mental health court are also underway. It, too, would be supervised by Nugent.
The reentry court’s focus remains on one thing.
“Recovery is the priority,” Nugent said.
