The Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy Alternative Sentencing Social Worker Program Wins NCJA Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award

Public Advocate Ed Monahan receiving award

(from NCJA Press release)

The National Criminal Justice Association is pleased to honor the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy Alternative Sentencing Social Worker Program with its 2011 Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award for the Southern Region.  This program was recognized for providing social worker services to indigent non-violent defendants who are represented by Kentucky public defenders. The social workers develop plans that provide personalized rehabilitative support that address pivotal aspects of offenders life such as addiction, physical health, mental health, housing, education, employment, family and other issues to improve the client’s successful function in the community and reduce recidivism.

The use of social workers to guide offenders into effective treatment programs is advantageous for multiple reasons including: their assistance is covered by attorney-client privilege—which increases the likelihood and effectiveness of early intervention; they improve coordination and cooperation among criminal justice agencies and treatment providers; and their early involvement in a case increases the likelihood of pretrial release or probation.

Each social worker has saved 10,000 days of incarceration and $100,000 in incarceration costs. If the DPA social worker program was implemented across the state of Kentucky, the projected savings to taxpayers would be estimated at $3.1-$4 million per year.

Secretary of the KY Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, J. Michael Brown praised the program saying, “the DPA Alternative Sentencing Social Worker Program has shown itself to be an important tool for the criminal justice system, by guiding offenders into effective treatment programs, and ultimately reducing recidivism and decreasing incarceration costs.  A study of the pilot program by the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work determined that, between October 2006 and October 2007, 82% of adult defendants who received DPA social worker services and who were released from incarceration were still in the community 6 months later.”

The NCJA Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Awards are a way to seek out and share successful criminal justice programs. The purpose of these awards is to highlight programs that:

•    Address an important criminal justice issue;
•    Demonstrate effectiveness based on program goals;
•    Are a good example of used of federal funds to initiate the program that is subsequently supported through state and local funds or is self sustaining; and
•    Can be easily replicated in other jurisdictions.

For more information about NCJA or the Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Awards, please visit www.ncja.org.

DPA Social Worker Sarah Johnson Appointed to Parole Board

Social worker appointed to Parole Board   The Morehead News

Last week Sarah Johnson was helping criminal offenders in Rowan, Bath, Menifee and Montgomery counties.

This week she has that role for the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Gov. Steve Beshear recently appointed the social worker to the Kentucky Parole Board after her five years of service to the Rowan County-based office of the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy.

...

“She’s done a phenomenal job for us and our clients,” said attorney Jay Barrett, Johnson’s supervisor in the local DPA office.

“This is great of for Kentucky but it’s a horrible loss for our lawyers, our clients and the DPA,” he added.

Chief Circuit Judge Beth Lewis Maze said Johnson grew into her heart of service after working with her father, Bill Grimes, at the New Hope Clinic in Owingsville. The clinic offers free health services to low-income populations.

Maze said Johnson is well suited for the Parole Board because of the work she’s done at the DPA.

“Sarah’s got a lot of experience being in the trenches that will be beneficial to the parole board,” Maze said.

“She’s had enough experience to cut through the get-out-of jail-free cards. She’s had the opportunity to look at people’s criminal history, and she’s got a background in helping people. I’m excited that we have someone from this circuit on the board,” Maze added.

Complete article

"Do you know Sarah Johnson?" DPA Social Worker profiled by The Morehead News

Addiction costs state millions of dollars - The Morehead News

If you talk to the district and circuit court judges, the commonwealth or county attorney or the jailer about treatment options for addicts, they’ll invariably all ask the same question: “Do you know Sarah Johnson?”

    Her name has become synonymous with genuine, and professional, advocacy for people in legal trouble because of crimes committed in addiction.

    The master clinical social worker at the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy—the public defender’s office—is well known for thorough and personalized work to find treatment options for indigent clients.

    The DPA social worker program came about as a means to lessen the taxpayer burden of overcrowded prisons and jails, according to an agency report. Johnson is one of 12 social workers throughout the Commonwealth that work in the DPA offices to assess and refer clients to appropriate treatment options.

    “Our role is to work as an agent of the attorney to assess cases where there’s apparent mental health and substance abuse and when the attorney feels a person would benefit more from treatment than incarceration,” Johnson said.

    According to a 2008 report, the social worker program has proven cost-savings. Kentucky saved $3.25 for every $1 invested in the social workers’ salaries.

    More than 10,000 days of incarceration were saved as social workers worked with the public defenders, prosecuting attorneys and judges to divert clients into long term residential treatment, outpatient treatment and other community treatment alternatives.

    While Johnson is concerned with the economic cost savings, she is also concerned with helping people recover their lives from addiction.

    “I really care about my clients and advocate for them to find the appropriate programs,” Johnson said.

    “My education and training has prepared me to find individualized options for people, each of whom are unique and valuable. All addicts are not the same,” she added.

    Usually, Johnson first encounters defendants when they are in jail. She goes to them and conducts an assessment and works with them to identify the most appropriate options for resolving legal problems and for helping them move into recovery.

    She then works with the public defender, the prosecuting attorney and the judge to recommend the best options. Oftentimes, residential or outpatient treatment is recommended for defendants with drug-related offenses.

    Johnson said she doesn’t stop at the recommendation, however.

    “I help our clients through the process. I don’t set treatment up for people. I give them options and work with them to make a good decision,” she said.

    “If they are comfortable with me talking to families, I do. There are many needs beyond just getting a person into treatment,” she added.

    Johnson said the success of the DPA social worker program goes far beyond reducing the jail and prison population.

    “My clients are people who suffer from addiction and because they suffer they committed a criminal offense.

    “If we invest in them and allow them to make something of themselves, I believe they can,” she said.