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Borderland Treatment Court marks 20 years; council proclaims May Treatment Court Month
Summary
Judge Jared Shimon and treatment court staff briefed the International Falls City Council on the 20-year Borderland Treatment Court program, its team-based model and outcomes; council approved a proclamation declaring May National Treatment Court Month, 5-0.
Judge Jared Shimon, the district court judge for Couchiching County, told the International Falls City Council on May 5 that the Borderland Treatment Court is celebrating its 20th anniversary and that the program reduces recidivism by providing coordinated treatment and supervision instead of incarceration.
The treatment court team described their model as weekly, team-based oversight combining judicial review, intensive probation, substance-use and mental-health treatment and community supports. “Show up, show up, show up,” Shimon said of the program’s early expectation for new participants. He said the court’s most recent recidivism rate was about 13 percent (data through 2022), below state and national averages cited in the presentation.
The program’s certified peer recovery specialist, Katie Deegan, described her lived experience and the court’s role in connecting participants to services. “Treatment court changes lives and I am living proof,” Deegan said, recounting her pathway from inpatient treatment to ongoing recovery and parenting responsibilities.
Coordinator Alyssa Hackenmueller summarized how the court assesses ‘‘high risk, high need’’ participants, follows a five‑phase structure (crisis stabilization through recovery management) and uses both rewards and sanctions to reinforce progress. The team said typical caseloads run roughly 15–24 participants and that the program uses local providers including Rainy River Recovery and Northland Counseling for treatment services.
After the presentation, Councillor Holden moved and Councillor Buller seconded a proclamation recognizing National Treatment Court Month and the Borderland Treatment Court’s anniversary; the City Council approved the proclamation 5-0.
The court invited councilors and members of the public to attend open sessions every other Thursday and offered to share an informational video and contact details by email.
The presentation emphasized that treatment courts seek to reduce reoffending by addressing clinical needs and providing wraparound services rather than defaulting to incarceration. The council recorded its appreciation and approved the proclamation sent forward by motion.
