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Board proclaims May as Treatment Court Month, hears supporters cite cost savings and graduations
Summary
The board approved a proclamation recognizing Treatment Court Month in May and heard multiple supervisors and court staff highlight specialty courts' role in diversion, reported local cost savings per participant, and upcoming graduations.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors on April 8 proclaimed May 2025 as Treatment Court Month and heard testimony from court staff and supervisors on the impact of specialty courts in the county.
Why it matters: County officials described treatment and specialty courts as an alternative to incarceration that both improves participant outcomes and saves public funds. Court staff provided figures for the board showing lower per-person costs for therapeutic court services compared with incarceration.
Court staff presentation and board discussion Recovery-court and mental-health court staff read the proclamation and described the county's network of specialty courts, including Recovery Court, Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, Family Treatment Court, and Page Therapeutic Court. Court presenters said treatment courts combine accountability and evidence-based services, and the staff memo cited an average taxpayer savings of about $65,000 for every person served annually, with therapeutic-court services averaged at roughly $6,000 per person.
Supervisor comments emphasized the human and fiscal impacts. Supervisor Lena Fowler and others described attendance at recent graduations and highlighted partnerships among the judiciary, county attorney, sheriff, and community providers. Fowler and other supervisors said specialty courts produce positive ripple effects for families and communities and cited the graduation events as examples of outcomes the county can point to. Court staff announced open graduation ceremonies (dates provided in the staff presentation) and noted continuing efforts to expand culturally appropriate supports, including Indigenous initiatives through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
Formal action The board approved the proclamation by voice vote. Staff noted two upcoming graduations (a Mental Health Court graduation and a Recovery Court graduation) and described ongoing interagency coordination.
What happens next Superior Court staff and the recovery court coordinator will continue holding publicly announced graduations and outreach events and will report program updates to the board as required.
