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Members of JMARC teams from the 24th Judicial District attend the 2022 National Association of Drug Court Professionals Conference.
What is JMARC (Recovery Court)?
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A Judicially-Managed Accountability and Recovery Court (JMARC) program is a collaborative approach to establishing and maintaining a sober and productive life.
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​JMARC is a court-supervised, post-sentence treatment program for non-violent defendants and is designed to identify and treat participants whose justice involvement is related to substance use.
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JMARC is overseen by a team made up of a presiding judge, probation officer, treatment liaison, district attorney, defense attorney, law enforcement officer, program coordinator, and peer advocate.
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The program lasts a minimum of one year and includes drug testing, individual and group counseling, case management, attendance at community support meetings, and court appearances before a designated judge.
Mission
Avery County Recovery Court Graduate, pictured with members of the JMARC team.
The mission of the 24th Judicial District JMARC team is to reduce substance use related deaths and crimes by identifying people who use substances, providing effective treatment, and monitoring compliance. This will reduce societal costs by providing alternatives to incarceration, encouraging family preservation, and holding participants accountable, thereby allowing them to become productive members of society.
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JMARC fosters recovery and saves lives.
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According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the average national treatment completion rate for treatment courts is nearly 60%, approximately two-thirds higher than probation.
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Treatment courts advocate for the value of every human life and work to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders.
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According to the NADCP, treatment courts produce benefits of $6,208 per participant, returning up to $27 for every $1 invested.
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Recovery Court programs have led to further criminal justice reforms such as incarceration alternatives, diversion programs, and sentencing reforms.
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Recovery Court Locally
MRJC coordinates and provides administration for JMARC in every county in the 24th judicial district. This includes Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey Counties. JMARC expanded to include Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey counties in 2018 after operating in Avery and Watauga Counties for over a decade. These Recovery Courts make up over a fourth of the Recovery Courts that currently exist in North Carolina!
What happens in Recovery Court?
Over 12-24 months participants will move through four phases before completing and graduating from the program. These four phases require regular meetings with their case manager, probation officer, and treatment group. Participants will have bi-weekly court sessions and random drug screens. Participants have access to services such as inpatient/outpatient treatment, 12-step programs, GED and continuing education services, employment referral assistance, community services referral assistance, and more.
Mitchell County Recovery Court Graduate, pictured with members of the JMARC team.