Ohio Supreme Court OKs Lorain County Wellness Court for mental illness

ELYRIA — Lorain County Common Pleas Court's specialized Wellness Court has earned final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on Specialized Dockets, officials announced Tuesday. To receive the certification, the local court had to submit an application, undergo a site visit and provide specific materials in response to certification standards that went in to effect in January 2014. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor congratulated the court and county Common Pleas Judge James Miraldi, who oversees it, for receiving final certification. "Specialized dockets divert offenders toward criminal justice initiatives that employ tools and tailored services to treat and rehabilitate the offender so they can become productive members of society," O'Connor said. "Studies have shown this approach works by reducing recidivism while saving tax dollars." The standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio, and allow local courts to innovate and tailor to meet their community's needs and resources. "There is no doubt that the community partners including law enforcement all recognized the need to try something different with certain offenders who suffer from serious mental illnesses. The specialized docket is the first step to try to help those folks find ways to become stable, self sufficient, productive and law abiding," Miraldi said. "It is a daunting task especially in today's COVID-19 environment. We have a good team members willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work." Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. In February, Miraldi said many people with mental illness were left without resources when most states closed their remaining mental institutions, state hospitals and asylums by the mid-1990s. "Our goal is to make our community safer because we're watching the people committing crimes more strictly and consistently," he told The Chronicle-Telegram at the time. The Wellness Court is a joint partnership with the Lorain County Adult Probation, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and the county jail, the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office, mental health providers such as The LCADA Way and others to treat up to 40 defendants at a time. Referrals to the program are accepted based on specific cases where a defendant has been diagnosed with specific mental illness that can be treated with medication and/or counseling. Some defendants with dual diagnoses of substance abuse and mental illness may qualify for intervention in lieu of conviction, which can lead to the sealing of their court records if they successfully complete the program. By law, final rulings in each case rest with Miraldi. There are more than 210 specialized dockets in Ohio courts that deal with issues such as drugs and alcohol, mental health, domestic violence, human trafficking and veterans treatment. Certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge. Lorain County has three certified specialized dockets within the Common Pleas General Division. Including the Wellness Court, Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi oversees Recovery Court and Probate Judge James Walther oversees Veterans Treatment Court. The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members who advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts, the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel, officials said.