Drug Court judge helps fight opiates' power from the bench

Opiate addiction is the biggest threat to freedom today, Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson says. Sandson was the keynote speaker Friday at the MLK awards ceremony in Atlantic City that included honorees Bill and Tammy Schmincke, who began Stop the Heroin after their son died of an overdose last year. "Dr. King would have been horrified had he lived to see what has happened to our communities, and particularly our urban areas," he said. "The lure of easy money, violence, gangs and drugs go hand-in-hand to make our land of opportunity a living hell for many of our youngest, our poorest and our most vulnerable." Sandson has seen that hell first hand. He lost his daughter to drugs. Now, as Atlantic County's Drug Court judge, he is looking to help others through it. He volunteered for the position when it became open. Currently, he sees drug court participants twice a week. But soon, Atlantic County will expand to three days because of the number of people in the program. He will fill out the week with two days in Cape May County Superior Court when he takes over that program as well. There will be nearly 600 participants between the two counties this month. A lot has changed since 2004, when the program was started to allow those whose drug use led to non-violent criminal charges to avoid jail and, if successful, expunge their record. Best practices include the suggestion that the judge spend three minutes on each person who appears before him. That's difficult with about 150 people each day. But, watching Sandson on the bench, he does well addressing each participant personally, with encouragement and, in some cases, the gift of candy or a flashlight. "Last week, you came here and some awful things had happened," he said to one man who lost two loved ones. "But you said, 'I didn't use.' I was impressed by that," Sandson told the man as he presented him as a role model to the others in the courtroom. "That's recovery. That's victory, man."

"Last week, you came here and some awful things had happened. But you said, 'I didn't use.' I was impressed by that. That's recovery. That's victory, man."

And that, Sandson reiterates throughout the day, is the key: Never use. But those who haven't followed that rule still are treated with respect and compassion by the judge. "Recovery is not a straight line," he said during Tuesday's session. "It's an indication of the disease of addiction." The symptoms associate with opiate withdrawal can be very unpleasant, however, there are increasing ways to cope and manage the process. Some will go to jail for their violations. At one time, that might be months. But now, the maximum is six days. Experience has found that, after six days, the defendant returns to a jail mentality and loses the progress they've made, Sandson explained. Too many violations, and someone can fail out, although Sandson tries to avoid that. The program is also shorter now. At one time it took 60 months to complete, but best practices show it can be done better in 36 months, he said. In some cases, just 30 months. "It's like listening to a miracle," Judge Julio Mendez said during a break. "It's a wonderful, wonderful program. It's life-changing for people." Mendez, who heads the Atlantic and Cape May county courts, has been a great support, Sandson said. He gave the program extra staff to help with the heavy workload. Even with that, the cost per participant is about $12,000 a year compared to $64,000 to house an inmate, Sandson said. As proud as he is of the program, he acknowledges the completion rate isn't much over 50 percent. But he's hopeful. And he believes in the program. That showed when he first met the Schminckes and other members of Stop the Heroin. The Egg Harbor Township couple led a protest outside the courthouse meant to push acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton to address the increase in overdose deaths. While Ruberton didn't publicly address the group, Sandson invited them into his courtroom and took their questions. "I still wear my 'Stop the Heroin' bracelet," he said, tugging on the rubbery band as he sits as his desk. He knows there are concerns about the program, including that drug dealers are also accepted. Sandson points out these are low-level dealers who are addicted themselves. "The reality of the situation is these people deal to use," he said. "If we don't accept them, then we're missing a huge opportunity to make a change there, too."