Local Judge’s View: Treatment Courts Helping Build Safer, Stronger Northland

By Steve Hanke

In our courtrooms, we see a heartbreak­ing pattern play out over and over again: Addiction, mental ill­ness, and trauma lead people into the crim­inal-justice system, and our communities suffer the consequenc­es. As a judge, I see this cycle daily.

But I’ve also seen how treatment courts can break it.

Here in Minneso­ta’s 6th Judicial Dis­trict — serving Cook, Lake, St. Louis (Du­luth, Hibbing, and Virginia), and Carl­ton counties — we are fortunate to have eight treatment courts: Carlton County Re­covery Court, Shore Substance Use Re­covery Court, North St. Louis County Hy­brid Court, North St. Louis County Mental Health Court, South St. Louis County Re­covery Court, South St. Louis County Veterans Treatment Court, South St. Lou­is County DWI Court, and South St. Louis County Mental Health Court.

The idea behind treatment courts is simple but powerful: Rather than cycling people with sub­stance-use disorders, mental health strug­gles, or both through the justice system without addressing root causes, we pro­vide them structure, support, and treatment. The comprehensive selection process for treatment-court par­ticipants is designed to identify individuals who can benefit most from the intensive, accountability-based approach while pos­ing lower risk to pub­lic safety. Participants are closely monitored by probation and ap­pear regularly before a judge. They engage in evidence-based treat­ment; are subject to dismissal, incarcera­tion, or sanctions; and work with a team that includes prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, law enforcement, social workers, peer men­tors, and treatment providers.

It’s not an easy or linear path. But for many, it works.

In May, during Na­tional and Minneso­ta Treatment Court Month, more than 40 professionals from our 6th Judicial District joined nearly 8,000 others at the All Rise National Treatment Court Conference — the world’s largest training for treatment courts. Many also at­tended Minnesota’s state treatment court conference the third week of June. These conferences reinvigo­rate and teach us.

These conferences show that treatment courts are:

* Trauma-informed, reducing harm and inclusive: Most treatment-court par­ticipants carry deep wounds from trau­ma. When we ac­knowledge trauma, rather than treating it as a weakness, participants engage more fully in their recovery. We fos­ter an environment where there is no shame, no blame, and no complain­ing — a space that is supportive, non­judgmental, and self-empowering. Harm reduction is essential because it builds trust. It keeps participants safe, alive and engaged in the recovery pro­cess, even if they aren’t ready or able to completely stop using substances right away. We must also be inclusive. Our treatment courts must truly serve Native Americans, Blacks, People of Color, LGBTQ+ in­dividuals, and rural residents. Everyone deserves access to hope and healing.

* Data-driven and al­ways improving: Treatment courts succeed because they rely on evi­dence, not guess­work. National stan­dards guide every decision, from early intervention and reg­ular testing to close judicial oversight and quality treat­ment. But we never stop improving. We constantly collect and analyze data to track outcomes like graduation rates, re­duced reoffending, and family reunifi­cation. When some­thing isn’t working, we must adjust. Our Shore Substance Use Recovery Court, for example, is undergoing a thor­ough evaluation to better understand its successes, failures, and challenges. Just like our participants, we hold ourselves accountable.

* Justice and treatment working together: Treatment courts show that justice and treatment are not separate. Judg­es, law enforcement, probation officers, clinicians, social workers, and peer support teams coor­dinate care to help participants over­come barriers like housing instability, food insecurity, lack of transportation, mental and physical health challenges, and unemployment. It’s a team approach that reduces repeat offenses and creates lasting change.

* And have an impact on our communi­ties: The research is clear: Treatment courts save lives by decreasing over­dose and suicide, reduce recidivism, keep families togeth­er with fewer fos­ter-care placements, and lower taxpayer costs by decreas­ing incarceration and emergency-ser­vice costs. This data holds true across the country, in Minneso­ta, and right here in our judicial district.

Beyond the statis­tics, treatment courts restore hope. I’ve seen parents reunite with their children; veter­ans find stability; and individuals once lost to addiction proud­ly graduate — sober, employed, and giving back to our communi­ty.

That’s the real pow­er of treatment courts: They help build saf­er, stronger, and more hopeful communities.

Steve Hanke is a 6th Judicial District judge in the Lake County Court­house in Two Harbors and in the Cook Coun­ty Courthouse in Grand Marais. He is a former criminal prosecutor for the City of Duluth.