New Drug Court Program Operating in Charlestown

A new court program operating in Charlestown aims to help people struggling with substance abuse gain access to treatment and move on with their lives.

Established by the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court and its Probation Department, in partnership with the Charlestown Substance Abuse Coalition, the Charlestown Addiction Recovery Treatment (CHART) program is a specialized court session that helps people on probation who suffer with chronic substance abuse. As an alternative to prison, these individuals voluntarily participate in court-stipulated drug treatment.

The CHART program follows a successful drug court model in Chelsea, where individuals are sentenced to intensive court supervision, mandatory drug testing, substance-abuse treatment and other social services instead of adjudication or incarceration.

When appropriately implemented, drug courts can reduce repeat offenses, decrease the chances of future drug use and promote positive cost-saving outcomes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice drug court study.

There is growing support in Charlestown for new ways of pursuing successful treatment for people addicted to alcohol or drugs. Charlestown resident Elaine Donovan said her neighbors’ attitudes toward people with drug and alcohol addictions have changed profoundly over the last 10 years.

“Charlestown has always been a close community. If someone in your family had a drug problem, there was a great deal of shame,” Donovan said.

The difference, she said, is the community’s acceptance that substance abuse is a disease.

“Today it’s still not OK to be a drug addict, but it is OK to get help,” Donovan added.

Casey Schievink, who has lived in Charlestown all her life and has struggled with addiction herself, has experienced the community attitude change personally.

“People today feel they can talk freely about their struggle and share their experiences,” she said. “There is an alternative to addiction—treatment and recovery—and this is opening people’s eyes.”

Concurrent with a change in community attitude, Chief Probation Officer Michelle Williams was reviewing the probation caseload at the Charlestown Court House. She found that 90 percent of offenders were on probation for substance abuse-related crimes. Williams then coordinated an effort with community substance abuse providers, the Charlestown Substance Abuse Coalition and the trial court to establish CHART, one of the 19 drug courts operating in Massachusetts.

Williams said CHART is a logical extension of the community’s mission to support successful treatment for substance abuse.

“It is a proactive response to the needs and desires of the community at large. Encouraging pro social behavior and the reduction of recidivism are the heart of probation’s goals. CHART will aid in this endeavor,” she said.

Referrals to CHART come from the defendant, his or her attorney, the district attorney or the probation department. Individuals convicted of arson, sex offenses or violent crimes within the past five years are not eligible. An impartial third party is responsible for screening and evaluating whether a candidate is appropriate.

The program extends for a minimum of 18 months, is highly structured and requires a serious commitment from the offender. Williams said that drug court is not a diversion program, and suitability is more a question of choice and desire by the offender than a generic profile.

State Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty, chairman of the legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary, had this to say about the program: “I will continue to support the CHART program because I believe it creates an incredible opportunity for those struggling with addiction to avoid the added burden of being involved in the criminal justice system as an offender when it is in our collective best interest that they receive treatment. I commend the staff of the court, the probation officers and the Presiding Judge for having the foresight to bring this program to Charlestown. My thanks as well to Massachusetts General Hospital—without MGH’s support this option would never exist at our local district court. Beth Rosenshein, Shannon Lundin, Judge McCormick and others are saving lives every day because of this program.”   

Similar to the Chelsea Drug Court, CHART has created a team approach model to direct and coordinate treatment plans. Armed with these treatment plans, a community outreach coordinator makes the connection to appropriate resources. The community outreach coordinator for CHART is Shannon Lundin, a Charlestown resident and staff member of CSAC, a community coalition supported by the MGH Center for Community Health Improvement. CSAC Director Beth Rosenshein said Mass General supports the role of community outreach worker for CHART.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to engage people in successful recovery,” she said.

Lundin’s work with CHART is an extension of the work she has done for the past three years, making connections for Charlestown individuals and supporting their desire for sobriety.

Attorney Joseph Perullo of Revere has high praise for Lundin.

“Ms. Lundin can reach my clients in a way that can be profound and personal because of her own personal experiences, her relationships, and wisdom she has developed through her work with the community,” he said.

CPO Michelle Williams of the Probation department agreed.

“Shannon has been a strong advocate for the treatment needs of her clients. In the past she has always lent assistance to any offender seeking help. In effect, drug court is a formal declaration of the supportive relationship that has existed for years between the court and CSAC,” she said.

CHART began operating late last year. Municipal Court First Justice Lawrence E. McCormick sentenced a young Charlestown man to treatment after the client agreed to have his case handled in the Drug Court Session in the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court. Today this young man is clean, sober and employed.

Editor's note: This article was submitted by the MGH Center for Community Health Improvement and includes minor edits. For more information, visit massgeneral.org/cchi.