What is the Fairbanks Wellness Court?

The Fairbanks Wellness Court helps felony DUI defendants who want to overcome serious problems with (or addiction to) alcohol and who want to achieve lifetime sobriety. The Wellness Court is a jail diversion program, offering intensive substance abuse treatment and community supervision to support the participants abstinence and recovery. Entry into the program is not automatic. Each request to participate is reviewed on a case by case basis and only a limited number of slots are available at any time.

What are the benefits?

The principal benefits of completing the Wellness Court program are achieving sobriety and avoiding incarceration. Graduates receive a reduced sentence minimizing jail time and fines on their current case.

Who is eligible?

A defendant is eligible to be considered for Wellness Court if the defendant is:

• Charged with a felony DUI or felony refusal; and
• Assessed by the treatment provider as being suitable for intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment

Currently, the Fairbanks Wellness Court can only work with people who are charged with felony level alcohol offenses. It is important to remember that there are only a limited number of openings. The District Attorney provides the initial screening of candidates and the Wellness Court team approves each participant.

How does the Fairbanks Wellness Court work?

The Wellness Court is an 18-month program that requires commitment, strength, honesty, and persistence. Once a defendant has successfully opted-in to the court program the defendant is required to:

• Enter intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment with a treatment provider
• Take a medicine that stops cravings for alcohol (if medically appropriate)
• Attend Alcoholics Anonymous or other recovery meetings
• Appear regularly before the Wellness Court judge for compliance hearings
• Work or attend school a minimum of 32 hours a week
• Undergo regular alcohol and other drug testing
• Maintain sobriety
• Attend MRT (Moral Reconation Therapy)
• Follow through with mental health services (if recommended)
• Pay for treatment, the MRT course, some drug testing, and related program costs

How do defendants get referred into the program?

Please keep in mind that admission into the Wellness Court Treatment Program is not automatic. The process for application to the program is as follows:

• The defendant indicates interest in Wellness Court by having his or her defense attorney contact the District Attorney for Wellness Court
• The prosecuting attorney decides whether to make a Criminal Rule 11 offer which incorporates Wellness Court as a sentencing alternative
• The defendant observes the Wellness Court in session at least once
• The defendant completes a substance abuse assessment to determine eligibility for intensive substance abuse outpatient treatment The Wellness Court Team must agree on the defendants admission into the program
• The defendant accepts the Criminal Rule 11 offer
• The Wellness Court judge approves the Rule 11 agreement and the Wellness Court treatment plan
• The defendant enters a plea of no contest or guilty, sentencing is set for 18 months later, and the defendant begins to follow the Wellness Court treatment plan, which includes a physical for the purposes of prescribing an anti-craving medication

Contact Information:

For program information, contact the Fairbanks Wellness Court Coordinator at (907) 452-9307 or by e-mail at jlorenzen@courts.state.ak.us.

The Fairbanks Wellness Court generally meets on Thursday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. in Courtroom 402, Rabinowitz Courthouse, 101 Lacey Street. Judges Robert Downes and Raymond Funk preside. The public is invited to attend. If you are interested in observing court, please call to confirm that court in being held on its regularly scheduled day. The number to call is (907) 452-0550.

Rev. 1 December 2009 © Alaska Court System www.courts.alaska.gov webmaster@courts.state.ak.us

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