Springfield celebrates graduates from court-supervised treatment program

Caleb Sloan was struggling with drug addiction and had been arrested multiple times when a judge in Springfield said he would be a good fit for a court-supervised treatment program. 

“And I said, ‘I have nothing really to lose,’” Sloan, 25, told Lookout Eugene-Springfield after his graduation from the Springfield Municipal Adult Recovery and Treatment court program on Nov. 20. “So I went for it, and it has not been easy. There’s been lots of ups and downs, but I made it through.”

James Tierney, who oversees the program as presiding judge for Springfield Municipal Court, got emotional during the graduation ceremony at the Springfield Justice Center. 

“We started this program partly because of Mr. Sloan,” the judge said to a group of friends, family and community members gathered to support Sloan and three other people graduating from the program. “The court has a long relationship with him. We’re so proud of his growth.”

The court gave each graduate a certificate of completion and closed their probation orders.

About the treatment court

Known as SMART Court, the city launched the alternative sentencing program in February 2024. 

In an interview, Tierney said the court, before starting the program, did a poll of people incarcerated in the Springfield Municipal Jail and found that 90% of inmates had a substance use disorder and some had a co-occurring behavioral health disorder. 

“Prior to SMART court, those people would just be released to the street,” the judge said. “There would not be any follow up to address the addictions or the behavioral needs.”

The treatment court is supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Oregon Department of Transportation. 

Program participants attend substance abuse and mental health treatment, submit to drug testing and have frequent court appearances. The treatment court partners with Lane County Parole and Probation as well as Emergence, a local nonprofit addiction treatment provider.

“We see that this need is prevalent because of the fentanyl addiction, the methamphetamine addictions and now the cocaine and alcohol addictions, which are more rampant than when the program started,” Tierney said. 

He said the intensive program “can help people focus on their needs so that they can be supportive parents, proper citizens in our community and able to give back to the individuals that may have been harmed because of their crimes.”

The municipal court handles misdemeanor crimes and most charges are eligible for treatment court if the defendant has a substance use disorder. 

“Municipal courts are for people that aren’t going to (the Department of Corrections),” Tierney said. “They’re always going to be with us. So we have to decide as a community, are we going to try to offer assistance to the people that need a different level of treatment or not.”

The program takes a minimum of one year to complete and has five phases that participants must move through before graduating. The phases include requirements such as maintaining sobriety, working on financial literacy, getting a job and establishing stable housing. The team applies sanctions, such as more frequent court appearances, if participants don’t follow the obligations. 

“People that commit new crimes, they go to custody,” the judge said. “People who relapse after dedicated sobriety time go to custody. And that encourages the entire group that this is a program you have to follow. And they become more and more engaged with the treatment culture, and eventually they buy in.”

The treatment court has had seven graduates so far. 

Celebrating success

City Councilor Michelle Webber said during the graduation ceremony that recovery requires courage.

“To our graduates, please know your success matters, not only to you and your families but to the health and the strength of our entire community,” she said. 

Police Chief Jami Resch remarked on how many people attended the ceremony to support and celebrate the graduates. 

“Programs like this are powerful reminders of what is possible when accountability, compassion and community come together,” she said to the group. “They show us that change is not only achievable, but it’s happening right here in front of us. Your success proves that when people receive resources and support, they can rebuild lives, strengthen their families and contribute meaningfully to our community. You are living proof that progress is worth our investment.”

Sloan, who is enrolled in a diesel technology program at Lane Community College, said finding out he was going to be a father helped him turn his life around. He and his partner, who is also going through treatment court, have a seven-month-old daughter. 

He thanked Judge Tierney for believing in him and helping him realize his full potential.