Since August 2015, dozens of men and women have participated in an intensive chemical dependency treatment program while serving their sentences in the Isanti County Jail.
Teen Focus Recovery Center, out of Rush City, has been providing services to inmates in the Isanti County Jail since Aug. 20, 2015.
Brian Ricke, Isanti County Jail programs coordinator, said 55 men and 20 women have participated in the program since it began in the jail. Teen Focus has also offered similar treatment programs in the Pine County Jail for four years and the Kanabec County Jail for three years.
The mission of Teen Focus is to provide outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents who are troubled with drug and alcohol-related problems and who will benefit from the recovery process as a whole, integrating mind, body and spirit, giving adults and adolescents a focus for a new beginning.
Mary Keller, the main counselor from Teen Focus working with Isanti County inmates, explained the program involves her coming to the jail four days a week and working with the men from 8-10 a.m. and the women from 10 a.m. to noon. It’s a nine-week program, and after 72 hours of sessions, an inmate successfully completes the program.
“The inmates participating in this program really want to do well and be successful,” Keller said. “We provide them with encouragement and the tools necessary to be successful by providing regular treatment, lectures, assignments, homework, group work and individual work.”
Isanti County Judge James Dehn said both he and Isanti County Judge Amy Brosnahan feel having Teen Focus available to inmates while in jail is very beneficial.
“For years, it has been frustrating because people with drug-addicted behaviors would be sitting in jail awaiting trial or awaiting sentencing, and then around their first or second court appearance, they would ask to be furloughed to an inpatient treatment facility,” Dehn said. “Oftentimes, we would see the inmates walk away from the program, not complete the program, etc. The only option to us at that point then is to issue a warrant for their arrest, and in the interim, they are out using drugs, breaking the law and committing other crimes until they are arrested again.”
Dehn said the inmates he has heard from are enjoying the program.
“In some cases, I’ve had defendants in front of me telling me they don’t want to get out of jail yet because they want to be able to finish the treatment program,” Dehn said. “When you hear that, you know it’s coming from inside their deepest being. This program gives them lifelong tools to be successful with their sobriety.”
Ricke said the program has really benefited the inmates with chemical dependency issues.
“We have received very good feedback from the inmates who have gone through the program,” Ricke said. “I think Teen Focus is the best thing we have done with programming to assist the inmates.”
Keller said the majority of the inmates in the program want to succeed.
“The clients we are working with in the jail are very motivated,” Keller said. “The treatment program requires them to show up for the sessions, work on their chemical dependency issues, do their homework, and we come up with a complete after-care plan for when they are released from jail.”
Isanti County Sheriff Chris Caulk feels the program is beneficial to everyone in Isanti County.
“In my personal opinion as sheriff, the only way to get rid of the ongoing drug problem is to get rid of the desire to do drugs,” Caulk said. “We have seen so many inmates come back to jail because they can’t break the habit. A program like Teen Focus, that we can offer to inmates while they are in jail, is wonderful because it’s in a structured and safe environment.”
Keller said due to each inmate’s individual case, sometimes an inmate isn’t able to completely finish the program before they are released from jail.
“About half of our clients are able to completely finish the program before they are released,” Keller said. “In cases where a client is released before they have finished the program, we meet with them to come up with a complete plan for continuing their treatment once they are released from jail. We look at different options for them, including inpatient or outpatient services, sober houses, etc. We make sure there is a plan in place for them to be successful following their release from jail.”
Isanti County Attorney Jeff Edblad supports the in-custody treatment program.
“I am a longtime advocate for in-custody treatment programming, and I fully support the opportunity for individuals to access the chemical dependency treatment program available in the Isanti County Jail for a number of reasons,” Edblad said. “In the past we would frequently see individuals in custody requesting furloughs from jail for treatment purposes who were more serious about getting out of jail than they were serious about attending chemical dependency treatment and addressing their addiction issues. Now with treatment available in the jail, it eliminates furlough requests for treatment from those who are insincere about treatment and just want to manipulate the system and use treatment as a means of getting out of jail because if they are truly serious about treatment, they can take advantage of it while in custody.
“Another benefit of the in-custody treatment program is that allows for productive and positive use of time of individuals while incarcerated to work on treatment issues rather than just sitting around and waiting out the time in custody. A third benefit is the feeling of self-worth and accomplishment that comes with the successful completion of such a treatment program and the hope that sobriety will be the new normal for the individual’s lifestyle. Another benefit is that an individual who is undergoing treatment while in custody will not be subject to the influence of friends in the community who continue to use because of the physical separation from friends who still may be using,” Edblad said.
Edblad said the need for the in-custody treatment program will continue.
“I think that we are going to see a greater need for this type of treatment programming in the near future in light of the fact that sentencing on second-degree controlled substance crimes will very likely be lowered later this year at the state level from a presumptive prison commitment to a presumptive stayed prison sentence with local jail time imposed, and these offenders who would have faced a presumptive prison sentence will now be in county jails availing themselves to local treatment resources.”
Keller said if an inmate has private health insurance, their health insurance will be billed for the services. If an inmate doesn’t have health insurance, Teen Focus will contact the county of the inmate’s last place of residence and an agreement will be worked out for either Isanti County Family Services or the inmate’s county to complete a Rule 25 assessment. To receive public funding for chemical dependency treatment, an individual needs to have a chemical use assessment conducted by a Rule 25 assessor.
Keller feels the program is successful in Isanti County because of the partnerships.
“We have many people in Isanti County who support this program, such as Judge James Dehn, Brian Ricke, the county Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and probation agents,” Keller said. “With everyone all on board with this, it really makes things run and function well.”