June 6: Springfield Municipal Adult Rehabilitation and Treatment Court (SMART)
Join Springfield City Club on Thursday, June 6 to hear about the impact of the Springfield Municipal Adult Rehabilitation and Treatment Court (SMART) from court coordinator Erin Selvey and Judge James Tierney. They will discuss SMART’s dual-pronged approach to addressing substance use and co-occurring disorders and how it offers essential support and structure to effect positive life changes.
About SMART Court
The Springfield Municipal Adult Rehabilitation and Treatment Court was established in November 2023, with operations beginning in January 2024. This program aims to capitalize on decades of specialty court research to provide comprehensive treatment for individuals in our criminal justice system.
Treatment Court will provide a dual-pronged approach for individuals to tackle their substance use or co-occurring disorder. It will also provide support and structure to change their life circumstances. The Treatment Court team will partner with Lane County Parole and Probation, Quality Research Associates, Emergence, Springfield City Prosecutor, the public defender, and the Springfield Police Department to staff this program.
The Springfield Municipal Adult Rehabilitation and Treatment Court (SMART) is a minimum 12-month program with four highly structured, evidence-based phases. Read more about this program here.
Involved participants must attend individual and group treatment sessions, submit to random drug testing, have frequent court appearances, and counsel as appropriate. Individuals must meet milestones to progress in phases and to graduate. At a minimum, individuals must be gainfully employed or in advanced schooling, have their GED or high school diploma, and have provided a give back to their community. The City recently received a federal grant of $900,000 to support the court operations. The Municipal Judge and court staff will discuss the operations and outcomes of the court’s activities in this program.
Speakers
Erin Selvey, court administrator
Erin Selvey is the Court Coordinator for the SMART Court program. She was born in raised in Springfield, attending Springfield High School before receiving a BS in Anthropology/Archaeology from Oregon State University. Both of her parents were long-time employees of the City of Springfield in the Police Department and Development/Public Works. After college, she returned to the Eugene/Springfield area and began working for the Springfield Municipal Court in 2009.
For the last 15 years she has served in many roles through the Municipal Court, from Court Clerk to Senior Clerk, and now Court Programs Coordinator. She manages the caseload of court clients sent to the Oregon State Hospital as well as the new Treatment Court program. She likes to spend her free time with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, travelling, and attending U of O football and volleyball events.
Hon. James Tierney, Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court
Judge James Tierney is the Presiding Judge for the Springfield Municipal Court and has held his position since August 2021. He originally hails from Nevada but has been a resident of Lane County since 2015. Judge Tierney is a vocal proponent of restorative justice, in addition to having previously served as the Deputy District Attorney assigned to the Lane County Adult Treatment Court.
Restorative justice is a system that focuses on rehabilitating offenders because Springfield defendants cannot go to prison. They are charged with misdemeanors and will remain in the municipal court system. Judge Tierney hopes to show the SMART court program is beneficial for our community and expects to expand the program once further funding becomes available.