LCO Tribal Court
Membership Report
This past year 2023, the total number of cases held were 1,750. The number of cases held in the year 2022 was 1,611 and I believe this increase is an indicator showing that more Tribal Members are using the Tribal Court.
In 2024, the Tribal Court will switch to a new case management system that will create more efficiency for the Court and for the public. Eventually, this new case management system will allow the public to pay their fines or court fees online with a credit card. It will also allow e-filing of court documents. There will be a learning curve as the old files are switched over, but the result will be greater efficiency.
The Tribal Court will also receive grant funding to remedy the construction issues not put in place during the remodel. This includes sound proofing of the attorney/client offices off the hallway and sound proofing of the courtroom wall facing the corridor. The metal detector will also be moved to outside the courtroom behind a half wall. For security purposes, a glass door will also be placed in the inner hallway to separate the Healing to Wellness Court offices from the main Court offices.
The Healing to Wellness Court
715.558.7430
The Lac Courte Oreilles Healing to Wellness Court (HTWC) provides support and resources for Tribal Members to work towards long-term recovery for a person who has been using drugs and found themselves justice involved. Our focus is to walk beside them while they are reconnecting with their families, community, culture, and our ways. Eligible participants agree to engage in a supervised program which helps them develop accountability when struggling with a substance use disorder.
Our program started in 2019. Staff advocated and helped find grants and resources to begin here at LCO and brought in The Penobscot Nation team to develop our policies and procedures. The program took a significant hit during the COVID pandemic as it is face to face team meetings and frequent face to face with participants are a considerable contribution to the success of the program. We employ two case managers. Our Tribal Judge is a staunch advocate for recovery and healing. Court Clerks contribute during the court sessions.
This program represents a collaborative effort of multiple entities: Housing, TANF, K-12 Schools, Bizhiki Wellness, Medication Assisted Therapy, Attorney General's office, Vocational Rehabilitation, Indian Child Welfare, Sawyer County Justice Point, Sawyer County Probation and Parole, and Spiritual/Elders who attend meetings every two weeks to discuss and bring ideas, hopes, and resources for the betterment of the individuals.
The partners in this effort need to be committed to a non-adversarial approach while providing culturally responsive and community-based support. Providing cultural options and responses into this program is what distinguishes a difference between other similar specialty courts. We are advocates for ongoing learning and the kind nature that our people have been known for.
We are celebrating 2 graduates soon and have 8 continuing towards that goal. Our current grant, which includes a Tribal match, runs through September of 2026, and we hope to have 25 total participants during that time. We estimate a period of a year with about three months in our four phases, Tobacco Path, Cedar Path, Sage Path, and completing with Sweet Grass Path. Those phases are dependent on the ability to achieve certain milestones such as days of clean of illicit drug use, finding ways to connect with community, and other goals as established in their plans.
Our hope is that our graduates can become advocates for those others who are brave and determined enough to use this method for their recovery. It requires work and commitment from the participants and team members as well. We currently meet on Tuesday afternoons every other week and have Wellness Court directly after our team meeting to keep the volunteer time from our other entities, time away from regular jobs to a minimum. That work does not stop there, they are often communicating with case workers and helping with resources in those in between weeks as well.
If you are an elder, or a program staff member, in sobriety and would like to be a part of the team approach to our program, call our offices or send a letter of interest as "it takes a village" to raise us up. You never know who might benefit from your participation.