June 26, 2008 at 7:07 a.m.
Drug court positives affect lives of mentors as well as participants
Drug court positives affect lives of mentors as well as participants
The three young men "graduated" in a special commencement June 19 held in Judge Robert Rancourt's courtroom on the top floor of the Chisago County Government Center. Judge Rancourt spoke of the youths with pride listing their accomplishments like months of sobriety and diplomas received. "You have taken the challenge and succeeded," said Rancourt.
These young men had tough journeys through JSAC. One had entered the program in 2006. The first juvenile to graduate said he wasn't keen on JSAC at first. "I told Gary (probation officer) I'd just as soon serve my time." Last week, though, he made special mention of how everybody stood by him adding, "Thanks for not giving up on me."
Graduate Number 2 told Judge Rancourt his life had been out of control. "I would have dropped out by now, you all helped me get back on track."
Rancourt asked the grads to now take the skills they've obtained and help other people.
J-SAC is a system that intensively supervises youthful non-violent offenders. The juveniles participate voluntarily. Their records are cleared and any outstanding warrants quashed, if they successfully finish. A series of goals and conditions tailored to their situation face them upon enrolling. J-SAC involves a variety of local organizations and agencies in supporting drug court participants.
J-SAC participants must not test positive for any drugs or alcohol in urinalysis testing. Local officers stop by their homes and check on their status at odd hours and the youth abide by strict curfew.
Along with parents and guardians of these youth-- there are professionals like probation officers standing alongside them in this process, representatives from the public schools are involved and local law enforcement are instrumental in monitoring participants.
The program also relies on mentors to help steer offenders through the program. Mentor Marilyn Norberg is one such volunteer. Norberg moved to this area from White Bear Lake 11 years ago.
She retired and was looking for ways to stay active and do something good.
She first fell into mentoring by volunteering at Chisago Lakes High School. A church friend of Norberg's was already volunteering as a school district mentor when she passed away. That left Norberg wondering what was going to happen to the teen who her friend was mentoring. Norberg decided to get involved and has also served in the Chisago Lakes School District-associated Pathways to Change program and at Wolf Creek distance learning facility.
She read one of our first stories about J-SAC from a couple years ago and contacted the program supervisor. Her JSAC youth is, she said, "...very sincere, very polite and respectful and wants to graduate." Norberg attended last week's ceremony to celebrate the success of the others and looks forward to when her mentee is counted among JSAC graduates.
"I feel this is well worth my time," said Norberg. "This program gives them something to work from, a way to improve their lives." She hopes that those who have benefited from JSAC can pass the experience along and give of themselves to make the world a better place.
The 66-year-old said when she was growing up "It was a very different time." Norberg's family was all the support she needed. She has four grown children now who are doing well in their own right. She said mentoring doesn't interfere with her life. How involved you get is between you and your youth. So far she has mostly just talked with her JSAC youth and has walked him through some major decisions.
Some mentors share hobbies or go places and attend events with their mentee, some make themselves available to bounce things off of and to be a strong, positive force in their youth's life. The level of mentorship needed and the approach is up to each individual team.
~ Carla Norelius, Fairview Lakes, coordinates the mentor programs and can be reached at 257-8806.
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