By Grace Yurish
On June 28, the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals (NEARCP), in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) pre-law faculty and Justice Studies program, hosted a day-long incentives training camp for recovery court professionals at the school’s Durham campus. Nearly 60 participants from recovery courts across five New England states attended, including probation officers, lawyers, treatment providers, case managers, judges, and coordinators. The event also welcomed four UNH Justice Studies students who had the opportunity to engage in the training and gain real-world experience.
“It was really exciting to watch the students engaged in the process and knowing that these are the types of students that will carry that forward into whatever they do,” says UNH Assistant Clinical Professor of Justice Studies Kirk Trombley.
The Justice Studies program and pre-law faculty generously provided the space and free parking for the attendees, which was crucial to the success of the day.
“The retreat was held in the recently renovated Hamilton Smith Hall in the heart of the UNH campus,” says UNH Advising and Academic Success Director Kevin Sousa, who was instrumental in securing the space. “Because this was meant to be a collaborative and interactive exercise, we chose the large TEAL [Technology Enhanced Active Learning] classroom. This room setup was ideal for the retreat because it allowed the sharing of best practices among professionals from different localities and viewpoints. We are very proud to partner with Justice [Tina] Nadeau on this event and look forward to future opportunities for UNH students to work and learn from the New Hampshire legal community.”
Retired Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau is a NEARCP Board member and a leader in the development of New Hampshire’s drug courts.
The training was led by two prominent figures in the field of drug courts: Helen Harberts, a former probation officer and prosecutor from California, and Judge Diane Bull, a retired drug court judge from Texas. Both are renowned speakers for the National Drug Court Institute and brought valuable insights and expertise to the event.
“The training was focused on the science behind why incentivizing good behavior works for the target population of folks in drug court,” says Justice Nadeau. “It was also about how we can create some of these incentives and how to deliver them to the participants in a way that is effective and will actually achieve behavior change.”
The day began with an in-depth presentation from the speakers on the importance of incentives for people in treatment courts. The participants were broken into teams by state, where they evaluated their current incentives program and adjusted it based on what they learned. They also learned how and when to deliver incentives, and what behaviors should be rewarded.
“The idea is to make sure you’re always finding something to incentivize. Otherwise, people feel hopeless and helpless and like it’s the same old thing. So, that was kind of the theme behind the training,” Justice Nadeau explains.
The participants learned to create and deliver a range of evidence-based, low-cost incentives such as gift cards, written certificates, spinning a raffle wheel, and “kudos cards” for achievements like getting a job, obtaining a license, or assisting a fellow participant. After the exercises, the teams practiced delivering the incentives and demonstrated what they had learned.
The experts also shared a study emphasizing the effectiveness of incentives. The study revealed that when parole officers used incentives, 80 percent of their caseload was successful on probation. When incentives weren’t used, only two percent were successful.
“I think this data is compelling for those of us in the criminal justice system who rely heavily on sanctions because that’s what we were trained on – that’s what we’re used to,” Justice Nadeau says. “But seeing the science behind how incentives improve outcomes was a really important takeaway.”
This event highlighted the significance of positive reinforcement and building confidence in recovery court participants so they can achieve their goals and become positive influences in their communities.
“The law is not about books and papers, it’s about the human condition and understanding where the people we serve come from, and how they live and act,” Justice Nadeau says. “The more understanding we have about that, the more we can reach the shared common goal of their health and public safety.”
Both Justice Nadeau and Professor Trombley expressed their enthusiasm for future initiatives to strengthen recovery court networks and interact with undergraduate students.
“Justice Nadeau and I look forward to a continuing partnership between the NEARCP, UNH, and the Justice Studies program,” Professor Trombley says. “Opportunities such as this provide students with both educational and clinical exposure to an important aspect of the justice system. As one student who attended the training said, ‘I felt honored to be able to work side by side and learn from people working in the drug/recovery courts.’”
Kylee Rock, a recent UNH graduate in the process of applying to law schools, was in attendance. She was president of UNH’s Pre-Law Society and interned with the New Hampshire Public Defender’s office last summer. There, she was able to attend drug court hearings, meetings, and a graduation.
“Attending this year’s incentives training was an amazing experience which allowed me to learn more about specialty courts in New Hampshire, as well as connect with regional courts and work with them to come up with creative ways to incentivize clients,” Rock says. “I am truly grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend and participate.”
Travis Dean-Ploof, a rising senior and current president of the Pre-Law Society, also attended the training.
“My experience at the training was amazing,” he says. “I was able to see firsthand the devotion that those working in recovery courts have towards helping people suffering from addiction. Programs like this are indicative of our justice system taking steps in a great direction.”