Treatment Court

The Pierce County Treatment Court is a judicially supervised treatment program for persons whose chemical dependency appears to have contributed significantly to their current arrest, conviction or crime. The program is a five-phase intervention program for adults that have pled guilty to one or more drug or alcohol related crimes. It is a collaborative effort between the Pierce County criminal justice system and the treatment community, working together toward a common goal of breaking the cycle of addiction and criminal behavior. Treatment Courts are dependent upon a non-adversarial courtroom atmosphere where a single judge and a dedicated treatment team of court officers and staff work together toward a common goal. By working together, we seek to provide a variety of programs and supervision that support an individual in maintaining a drug-free life.

Mission

It is the Pierce County Treatment Court's mission to promote public safety, reduce crime and improve the lives of participants, their families and the community through an intensive, collaborative, court supervised treatment program which motivates participants while holding them accountable. The program will strive to use community and state resources effectively in achieving its goals.

Goals

  • Goal 1: Reduce recidivism rates for nonviolent offenders in the program and increase public safety
  • Goal 2: Reduce prison and jail populations by diverting nonviolent offender to community based interventions
  • Goal 3: Promote long term sobriety.
  • Goal 4: Promote self-sufficiency and development of responsible citizenship. 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to participate in the Pierce County Treatment Court, individuals must:

  • Be a resident of Pierce County
  • Over the age of 18
  • Pending criminal charges, pending revocation of probation, or pending revocation of extended supervision (generally felony charges but in limited circumstances misdemeanors) with a substantial nexus to the defendant’s substance use disorder
  • Resolution, or pending resolution, of all other charges which might remove the individual from ability to participate in treatment court
  • Not determined to be a Violent Offender
  • Not subject to exclusion based on substantial drug dealing activity not related to their substance use disorder
  • Physically able to meet the requirements of the treatment court program including drug and alcohol testing (within the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act)
  • Anticipated supervision by the Department of Corrections in Pierce County sufficient in length to complete the requirements of the program.  Applicant must agree to extend supervision if completion of supervision ends prior to completion of program.
  • Not diagnosed with severe mental illness for which there is either no appropriate treatment, treatment cannot be provided in the community or treatment cannot be managed within the treatment court setting
     
Referral Process

Referrals to the Pierce County Treatment Court Program may come from the following sources:

  • District Attorney's Office
  • Probation Agent, Department of Corrections
  • Defense Attorney
Once an individual is referred to Treatment Court the Coordinator will screen the potential participant to see if they meet minimum requirements. An assessment tool is used to help determine the risk/need level of each participant. The applicant will then be referred to complete a comprehensive Alcohol Or Drug Assessment.  After the assessment is completed, the Treatment Court Team will review the information.  If the individual meets eligibility requirements they will be scheduled to observe a Treatment Court session and will meet with the Treatment Court Team to review any questions they may have. If eligible, the sentencing judge must still make Treatment Court a part of the sentence before the individual will be formally admitted. All open cases need to be resolved prior to entering the program.


Calendar

Treatment Court meets weekly in the west wing of the Pierce County Circuit Court on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m.  The Treatment Court session at 8:30 is open to the public.

How to Apply

For Attorneys & Probation/Parole Agents

To make a Treatment Court referral complete and print the Treatment Court Referral Form.

Please mail or email all completed forms to:

Mary Kelly, Treatment Court Coordinator
412 W Kinne Street
PO Box 670
Ellsworth, WI 54011

  • Office: 715-273-6770 ext 6613 
  • Cell: 715-307-7409
  • Email: mary.kelly@co.pierce.wi.us
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