STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MAY 2025 AS MAINE
TREATMENT AND RECOVERY COURT MONTH
WHEREAS, treatment and recovery courts nationwide are the cornerstone of justice
reform and are recognized as the most successful justice system intervention in our Nation's
history; and
WHEREAS, Maine's treatment and recovery courts have been restoring lives and families
and increasing public health and safety for almost 3 decades; and
WHEREAS, Maine now has 14 treatment and recovery courts, including 8 adult drug
treatment and recovery courts, 2 veterans treatment courts, 3 family recovery courts and one
co-occurring disorder court; and
WHEREAS, Maine's treatment and recovery courts have served more than 2,800
individuals, indirectly impacting thousands of Maine families, employers and communities;
and
WHEREAS, the most recent statewide assessment has shown that Maine's treatment and
recovery courts have substantially lowered the conviction recidivism rate of graduates to 6%
compared to 41% of people with comparable characteristics and criminal histories who did not
participate in a treatment and recovery court program; and
WHEREAS, according to All Rise, treatment and recovery courts significantly improve
substance use disorder treatment outcomes and substantially reduce addiction and related crime
and do so at less expense than any other criminal justice strategy in Maine's history; and
WHEREAS, according to the statewide assessment, Maine's treatment and recovery
courts save an average of $16,232 in incarceration and community corrections costs for every
individual served, permitting Maine to boast savings significantly more than the national
average of $6,000 per individual; and
WHEREAS, Maine's treatment and recovery courts improve education, employment,
housing and financial stability; promote family reunification; reduce foster care placements;
and increase the rate of mothers delivering babies who are fully drug-free; and
WHEREAS, Maine's treatment and recovery courts facilitate community-wide
partnerships, bridging public safety and public health; and
WHEREAS, the success of Maine's treatment and recovery courts is the result of
dedicated, collaborative efforts and partnerships with many state departments and
organizations, including the Maine Judicial Branch, the Office of the Attorney General, the
Governor's office of opioid response, Maine Prosecutors' Association, Maine Commission on
Public Defense Services, the Department of Corrections, county sheriff's offices, the
Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Health, Aroostook Mental Health Center,
Wellspring, the Community Caring Collaborative, the Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving
Maine, Maine Pretrial Services and the Maine Reentry Network, as well as a multitude of
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recovery centers and residences, independent treatment providers and physicians and recovery
support organizations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Legislature
now assembled in the First Special Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
opportunity to designate May 2025 as Maine Treatment and Recovery Court Month in
recognition of the efforts of all professionals and participants who make our treatment and
recovery courts work and of the significant contribution our treatment and recovery courts have
made and continue to make in the fight against substance use disorder, by helping our citizens
in their recovery and in restoring hope.
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