Colleagues and Counsel:

I am writing to ask for your assistance with the Saginaw Recovery Court program.

At present, our program has only five active participants. While our team remains fully committed to the program and its mission, maintaining adequate participant numbers is important to the long-term success and sustainability of Recovery Court. Accordingly, I am asking all prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and probation personnel to keep Recovery Court in mind when reviewing cases and working with defendants who may be appropriate candidates.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the program, Saginaw Recovery Court is a treatment-focused, evidence-based problem-solving court designed for eligible individuals whose criminal behavior is driven, at least in part, by substance use disorders. Participants receive intensive treatment, close judicial supervision, frequent testing, accountability, incentives, and support services designed to promote long-term recovery, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety.

Our team has recently undertaken a renewed effort to ensure that every statutorily eligible defendant who desires treatment has an opportunity to be considered for the program. We recognize that some individuals will ultimately not qualify due to statutory restrictions, criminal history, risk assessment results, or a lack of willingness to participate. Nevertheless, we do not want potentially suitable candidates to be overlooked because of assumptions regarding eligibility.

If you have a client, defendant, or probationer who may benefit from Recovery Court, please encourage that individual to submit an application or contact our team for screening. Our Coordinator, Sarah Rogers (srogers@PROTECTED) would love to hear from you!  Even if eligibility is uncertain, we would much rather evaluate a referral than miss an opportunity to help someone achieve recovery and avoid future involvement with the criminal justice system.

Please share this information with others in your office as appropriate. We welcome referrals from prosecutors, defense counsel, judges, probation officers, treatment providers, and community partners.

Thank you for your continued support of Recovery Court and for helping us identify individuals who may benefit from this life-changing program.

Respectfully,

Hon. André R. Borrello
Saginaw County Recovery Court

10^th Circuit Court Judge

111 South Michigan Avenue

Saginaw, MI 48602