Collaborative Courts Program
Collaborative Courts Program
Mission statement
The Collaborative Courts are an evidence-based drug court model that establishes a court team built on a long-lasting partnership of community-provided services involving county government, including the Board of Supervisors and Superior Court administration. The Collaborative Courts work with individuals and families in the criminal justice and child welfare systems who are facing substance abuse, mental illness, and other social welfare issues. Clients are supervised by judicial officers who oversee treatment progress through regular court hearings, including the use of incentives and sanctions. It is vital that this community collaborative provides access to substance abuse and mental health treatment, along with a wide range of additional agencies that offer academic and vocational programming, social services for offenders and their families, housing resources, and other services needed for successful reentry into the community. The goal of the Collaborative Courts is to improve client outcomes, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety.
The San Joaquin County Superior Court has successfully implemented six adult drug courts since 1995, including Parole Reentry Court, Drug Court, DUI Drug Court, Dependency Drug Court, Veterans Court, and AB109 Compliance Courts.
Programs
Veterans Courts
Calendar:
Honorable Judge K. Jacot, Dept. 5C
1st & 3rd Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Description: Military Diversion is a pretrial diversion program for veterans charged with a misdemeanor, as well as certain felonies, who suffer from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of their service. When a veteran successfully completes the Military Diversion program, the arrest and charges are dismissed and sealed and cannot be used to deny employment, benefits, a license, or a certificate.
Veterans Treatment Court is available to veterans who otherwise do not qualify for Military Diversion. It is an alternative sentencing program that requires regular court appearances, as well as mandatory attendance at treatment sessions and regular testing for substance use. The program is designed to provide treatment and rehabilitation in lieu of jail and, when successfully completed, may result in a reduction or waiver of fines, early termination of probation, or charges being reduced, dismissed, or expunged.
Dependency Drug Court
Calendar:
Honorable Judge Holly, Dept. 9D
Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. (PROP 2)
Honorable Judge Mulvihill, Dept. 9C
Fridays at 1:30 p.m. (PROP 1)
Description: The PROP (Parental Recovery Options Plan) program was designed to provide an intensive court monitoring system to increase family reunification rates in San Joaquin County for families with substance abuse problems. PROP is divided into two separate levels of monitoring:
PROP I is the first level of monitoring. Clients report to Dependency Court every 30 to 45 days. PROP I is recommended for clients with little or no prior history with:
- Child Protective Services
- Substance Abuse Treatment
- Mental Health Issues
- Domestic Violence
- Criminal History
PROP II is the second level of increased court monitoring. Clients are monitored by Drug Court weekly, biweekly, and then monthly as the client progresses throughout the year. PROP II is for clients who have a prior history with:
- CPS/Reunification failure
- Substance Abuse Treatment
- Mental Health Issues
- Domestic Violence
- Criminal History
- Positive toxicology infants
- PROP I failure
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed during the lunch hour, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Adult Drug Court
Calendar:
Commissioner Michael J. Rasmussen, Dept. 3C
Track 2: Mondays
8:30 a.m. - Track 2 (Females)
9:00 a.m. - Track 2 (Males)
Track 1: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m.
Description: The purpose of Drug Court is to provide intensive court monitoring so that drug court clients can achieve total abstinence from drugs and alcohol and become productive and responsible members of society.
Eligibility for Drug Court: San Joaquin County Drug Court targets individuals charged with misdemeanor or felony offenses. The judge orders formal or informal probation with a specific condition that the defendant enter and complete the Drug Court treatment program. Referrals are at the discretion of the judge, District Attorney, and Defense Attorney.
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed during the lunch hour, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Parolee Reentry Court
Calendar:
Honorable Judge K. Jacot, Dept. 5C
Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.
Description: The Parolee Reentry Court Program (PRC) establishes a long-lasting partnership of community services involving county government and criminal justice representatives, which aids parolee reentry into the community.
Eligibility:
- Male and female parolees who reside in San Joaquin County, have been released, and have violated a condition of parole.
- Parolees who are considered at high risk of returning to prison.
Components:
- Mandatory 12-month participation in PRC
- Substance abuse counseling
- Evidence-based treatment programs
- Judicial supervision
- Focus on obtaining and maintaining employment
- Transitional living in a safe and sober environment
- Focus on obtaining a GED, if needed
- Reunification with family
- Primary health care and dental services
- Anger management services
DUI Court
Calendar:
Honorable Judge K. Jacot, Dept. 5C
Thursdays - Tier II DUI Court
8:30 a.m. - DUI Court (Females)
10:00 a.m. - DUI Court Tier II (Males)
Thursdays - Tier I DUI Court
3:00 p.m. - DUI Court
Description: This multitrack DUI Court is an intensive program that combines judicial supervision with monitoring, drug and alcohol testing, mandated treatment when needed, and the use of incentives and sanctions to influence behavior change. Participants are required to have one year of alcohol monitoring in addition to random drug and alcohol testing.
Eligibility:
- All second-offense DUIs and higher
- Watercraft DUIs and wet-and-reckless repeat offenders
Components:
- Regular court appearances
- Accountability to fulfill both DMV and court-sanctioned sentencing mandates
- Regular drug and alcohol testing
- Home inspections to ensure alcohol-free compliance
- Attendance at 12-step recovery programs
- Treatment as mandated by the court
Post Release Compliance Court
Calendar:
Commissioner Michael J. Rasmussen, Dept. 3C
Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
Description: The Post Release Supervision Court Program (PRS) establishes a long-lasting partnership of community services involving county government, including the Board of Supervisors and Superior Court administration, to aid probation reentry into the community.
Eligibility:
- Male and female AB109 probationers in San Joaquin County who have been released and referred by probation.
- Probationers considered at high risk for reoffending.
Components:
- Judicial supervision
- Substance abuse counseling
- Focus on obtaining and maintaining employment
- Transitional living in a safe and sober environment
- Focus on obtaining a GED, if needed
- Reunification with family
- Primary health care and dental services
- Anger management services
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed during the lunch hour, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Monitoring Court
Calendar:
Honorable Judge K. Jacot, Dept. 5C
1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.
Description: The Monitoring Reentry Court Program addresses Post Release Community Supervision clients who have been assessed by Probation as high risk for violence and gang affiliation. It provides resources needed for successful reentry into the community.
Eligibility: Male and female AB109 probationers in San Joaquin County who have been identified by probation as high risk for violence and/or low to moderate substance abuse.
Components:
- Judicial supervision
- Counseling for violent behaviors
- Substance abuse counseling
- Focus on obtaining and maintaining employment
- Obtaining a GED, if needed
- Transitional living in a safe and sober environment
- Reunification with family
- Linkage to health care and dental services
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed during the lunch hour, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Choices & Consequences
Calendar:
Programs take place at local schools. Days and times vary.
Description: Choices and Consequences is a DUI prevention program that conducts real sentencing hearings at local schools so students can see some of the consequences of driving under the influence. The cases sentenced at these assemblies are actual DUI cases from San Joaquin County courts whose participants receive community service credit for agreeing to participate. The program also includes an interactive session between the judge and the students, followed by a video featuring local people who have both lost loved ones and caused the loss of loved ones through drinking and driving. Typically, the program is offered to 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade students.
Homeless Court
Tribunal de Personas Sin Hogar
Calendar:
Honorable Judge Kronlund
Homeless Court is held at St. Mary's Interfaith Community Services
545 W. Sonora
Stockton, CA 95203
Last Friday of the month from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except holidays; check the schedule.)
Description: Homeless Court was developed with the goal of assisting people experiencing homelessness in San Joaquin County with clearing up:
- Minor traffic and moral offenses
- Bench warrants and failures to appear
- Old fines owed
Without the threat of incarceration and fines, individuals serve their sentences through volunteer community service work and participation in programs such as AA and mental health services, as arranged by their shelter caseworkers.
Individuals can sign up at:
- Any homeless shelter in San Joaquin County
- Veterans Administration
- Women's Center
Forensic Courts (Mental Health)
Calendar:
Honorable Judge K. Jacot, Dept. 5C
Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
Description: Behavioral Health Services Forensics Court is a year-long substance abuse and mental health program.
Eligibility: Individuals ages 18 years or older who have been determined eligible through the court process and have been diagnosed with a serious mental disorder are eligible for the Forensic Court Program.
Components:
- Assessment for program services
- Evidence-based treatment services
- Individual treatment planning
- Individual and group support services
- Substance Abuse Recovery Services
- Court appearances and monitoring (judicial supervision)