What Are Minnesota Specialty Courts?

Minnesota specialty courts provide a non-traditional problem-solving approach to integrating treatment provision and criminal justice case processing. These courts work with multidisciplinary teams to offer treatment and other services to offenders, to reduce substance abuse and general recidivism. Other goals of the Minnesota specialty courts include:

• To minimize jail and prison crowding issues;
• To reduce crime;
• To increase the effective management of mental illness among substance abusing and dependent participants;
• To advance the effective integration of related resources from the courts, justice system personnel, and community agencies 
• To expand collaboration among all agencies;
• To assist participants in achieving long-term sobriety, maintain recovery, improve the quality of their lives and that of their family.

There are over 35 treatment courts in the 22 judicial districts of Minnesota. Programs offered by Minnesota specialty courts include:

• Adult Drug Courts.
• DWI Courts,
• Family Dependency Treatment Court.
• Juvenile Drug Court.
• Mental Health Court.
• Veterans Court.

Also referred to as treatment courts, problem-solving courts address offenders with needs that may not be satisfied in traditional courts. Some of these matters include addiction issues, mental illness, and domestic violence. These courts aim to promote outcomes that will benefit all concerned parties.

Treatment courts serve as alternative methods of handling certain offenders. These courts collaborate with stakeholders in the justice system, such as prosecutors, probation officers, social workers, public defenders, and other justice system partners. Through this collaboration, the courts ensure that offenders complete treatment programs, reducing the tendency to commit a crime.

In Minnesota, problem-solving courts share the following key components:

• Combine treatment services with justice system case processing.
• Non-adversarial approach: prosecution and defense counsel assume roles that promote public safety while protecting participants’ due process rights
• Participants are identified early and promptly placed in the treatment court program
• Problem-solving courts provide access to a range of alcohol and other drug-related treatment and rehabilitation services
• Continual judicial interaction with each participant
• Monitoring the effectiveness of the court to measure the achievement of program goals
• Continuing interdisciplinary education to promote effective treatment court planning, implementation, and operations
• Collaboration—Treatment courts develop partnerships with external parties to achieve set goals.

Minnesota specialty courts operate an integrated, team-based structure that holds participants accountable and helps in their recovery. Participants in a specialty court program participate voluntarily and agree to follow the laid-down rules of the specific programs. To achieve set goals, specialty court programs do the following:

• Probation officers or case managers closely supervise participants;
• Participants are tested for drugs or alcohol randomly and frequently;
• Participants are subjected to frequent home and probation officer/case manager visits;
• Participants are engaged in enhanced or intensive drug treatment, and other treatments deemed necessary; 
• Participants are assisted in their compliance with efforts to achieve stability;
• Participants must visit the court at least twice a week. Note that this may vary depending on the participant’s progress in the court program)

A problem-solving court team meets to discuss persons appearing on the docket. This team generally includes;

• The judicial officer
• Probation officer
• Deputy district attorney or deputy public defender
• Substance abuse and mental health treatment provider
• Case manager
• Court coordinator
• Any other persons essential to the court (e.g., guardian ad litem, Child Support Enforcement Agency, Department of Human Services, military installations.)

Before and during the meeting, the members exchange information concerning each person on the docket and discuss the participant’s compliance, successes, challenges, and other related circumstances. The team collaborates to adapt a joint response to the participant’s compliance or non-compliant behavior. In the course of the court session, participants receive incentives or sanctions based on their conduct.

A specialty court’s effectiveness is directly connected to the following:

• Quantity and quality of information shared by the court team
• Quality of treatment
• Team devotion and commitment
• Frequent contact with a compassionate yet resolute judicial officer
• Random and frequent use of drug and alcohol testing
• Effective use of incentives and sanctions

Positive outcomes are also engendered by collaboration between the city and the community in which the program occurs. Such collaborative activities include ancillary services such as housing, employment training and assistance, and financial aid. Specialty court programs may take up to two years or more to complete.

The contact information for the problem-solving courts are listed below:

ADULT DRUG COURTS

District: 1

Location: 200 4th Avenue West

Shakopee, MN 55379.

County: Scott.

Coordinator: Heidi Kastama.

Phone: (952) 496–8373

District:2

Location:15 Kellogg Boulevard West

St. Paul, MN 55102.

County: Ramsey.

Coordinator: Tanya Jones.

Phone: (651) 266–9277

District: 3

Location:20 Third Street NW

Faribault, MN 55021

County: Rice.

Coordinator: Susan Hence.

Phone: (507) 333–3703

District: 4

Location: 300 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55487.

County: Hennepin.

Coordinator: Lisa Keller.

Phone: (612) 348–9265

District: 5.

Location: 401 Carver Road

Mankato, MN 56002.

County: Blue Earth

Coordinator: Kevin Mettler.

Phone: (507) 469–5518

District 5

Location:14 S. State Street

New Ulm, MN 56073

County: Brown.

Coordinator: Megan Kjolsing

Phone: (507) 934–7190

District: 5

Location: 201 Lake Avenue

Fairmont, MN 56031.

County: Faribault

Coordinator: Tracy Henning 

Phone: (507) 381–3749

District: 5

Location: 201 Lake Avenue

Fairmont, MN 56031.

County: Jackson

Coordinator: Tracy Henning 

Phone: (507) 381–3749

District: 5

Location: 607 West Main Street

Marshall, MN 56258.

County: Lincoln

Coordinator: Grady Holtberg.

Phone: (507) 401–5062

District: 5

Location: 607 West Main Street

Marshall, MN 56258.

County: Lyon.

Coordinator: Grady Holtberg, 

Phone: (507) 401–5062.

District: 5

Location: 201 Lake Avenue

Fairmont, MN 56031.

County: Martin

Coordinator: Tracy Henning

Phone: (507) 381–3749

District: 5

Location: 2500 28th Street

Slayton, MN 56172.

County: Murray.

Coordinator: Heather Kirchner, 

Phone: (507) 295–1019

District: 5

Location: 501 South Minnesota Avenue

St. Peter, MN 56082.

County: Nicollet.

Coordinator: Megan Kjolsing.

Phone: (507) 934–7190.

District:5

Location:1530 Airport Road

Worthington, MN 56187.

County: Nobles

Coordinator: Heather Kirchner, 

Phone: (507) 295–1019.

District: 5

Location: 416 South Hiawatha Avenue

Pipestone, MN 56164

County: Pipestone.

Coordinator: Heather Kirchner.

Phone: (507) 295–1019

District 5.

Location: 250 South Jefferson Street

Redwood Falls, MN 56283

County: Redwood

Coordinator: Grady Holtberg

Phone: (507) 401–5062

District: 5

Location: 710 2nd Avenue South

St. James, MN 56081.

County: Watonwan

Coordinator: Megan Kjolsing.

Phone: (507) 934–7190

District: 6

Location: 301 Walnut Avenue

Carlton, MN 55718.

County: Carlton.

Coordinator: Vacant, Treatment Court Coordinator

Phone number: (218) 720–1535

District:6

Location: 100 North 5th Avenue West

Suite 320

Duluth, MN 55802

County: St Louis Virginia

Coordinator: Aleesha Ward

Phone: (218) 471–7223

District: 7

Location: 913 Lake Avenue

Detroit Lakes, MN 56501

County: Becker

Coordinator: Don Kautzmann

Phone: (218) 291–5863.

District: 7

Location:213 SE 1st Avenue

Little Falls, MN 56345.

County: Morrison

Coordinator: Shelly Trane. 

Phone: (320) 631–0833

District: 7

Location: 725 Courthouse Square, #406

St. Cloud, MN 56301 

County: Stearns.

Coordinator: Shelly Trane.

Phone: (320) 656–6367

District: 8

Location: 629 North 11th Street

Montevideo, MN 56265

County: Chippewa

Coordinator: Karon I. White, 

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District: 8

Location: 400 Colorado Avenue

Morris, MN 56267.

County: Grant. 

Coordinator: Karon I. White.

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District: 8

Location: 505 Becker Avenue

Willmar, MN 56201.

County: Kandiyohi

Coordinator: Karon I. White, 

Phone: (320) 208–6647.

District: 8

Location: 505 Becker Avenue Southwest #100

Willmar, MN 56201

County: Meeker.

Coordinator: Karon I. White. 

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District 8

Location: 400 Colorado Avenue 

Morris, MN 56267.

County: Stevens

Coordinator: Karon I. White.

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District 8

Location: 400 Colorado Avenue

Morris, MN 56267

County: Traverse

Coordinator: Karon I. White.

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District: 8.

Location: 400 Colorado Avenue 

Morris, MN 56267.

County: Wilkin.

Coordinator: Karon I. White

Phone: (320) 208–6647

District: 9

Location: 600 Minnesota Avenue NW, Suite 108

Bemidji, MN 56601.

Coordinator: Krista Smith.

Phone number:(218) 333–4120

District 9

Location: 303 Minnesota Avenue

Walker, MN 56484

County: Cass

Coordinator: Shirley Smith, 

Phone: (218) 547–7237

District: 9

Location: 123 NE 4th Street

Grand Rapids, MN 55744.

County: Itasca

Coordinator: Tiffani Ott.

Phone (218) 391–9909

District:9

Location: 715 4th Street

International Falls, MN 56649.

County: Koochiching

Coordinator: Amanda Zortman

Phone: (218) 283–1118

District: 9 

Location: 206 8th Avenue SE

Baudette, MN 56623

County: Lake of the Woods.

Coordinator: Amanda Zortman.

Phone: (218) 283–1118

District: 9

Location: 311 North Main Street,

Mahnomen, MN 56557.

County: Mahnomen.

Coordinator: Lori Thompson.

Phone: (218) 983–4648

District: 10

Location: Anoka

County: Anoka

Coordinator: Lacy Greninger.

District 10

Location: Wright

County: Wright

Coordinator: Chris Jahnke.

DUI/ DWI COURTS

District: 4

Location: 300 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55487.

County: Hennepin.

Coordinator: Lisa Keller.

Phone: (612) 348–9265.

District: 6

Location:100 North 5th Avenue West,

Suite 320

Duluth, MN 55802

County: St Louis Duluth.

Coordinator: Rachael Barta

Phone: (218) 720–1547

District:7 

Location: 121 West Junius Avenue

Fergus Falls, MN 56537.

County: Otter Tail.

Coordinator: Tria Mann.

Phone: (218) 998–8460

District 7

Location: 913 Lake Avenue

Detroit Lakes, MN 56501.

County: Becker

Coordinator:Tria Mann, 

Phone: (218) 998–8460

District: 9

Location: 141 Main Ave S

Thief River Falls, MN 56701.

County: Pennington.

Coordinator: Allie O’Leary.

Phone: (218) 684–7029

District: 9

Location: 141 Main Ave S

Thief River Falls, MN 56701

County: Polk

Coordinator: Allie O’Leary.

Phone: (218) 684–7029

District: 9

Location: 124 Langevin Avenue NW

Red Lake Falls, MN 56750.

County: Red Lake.

Coordinator: Allie O’Leary.

Phone: (218) 684–7029

District: 9

Location: 311 North Main Street, Mahnomen, MN 56557.

County: Mahnomen.

Coordinator: Tria Man.

Phone: (218) 983–4648

District: 9

Location: 208 East Colvin

Avenue Warren, MN 56762.

County: Marshall 

Coordinator Allie O’Leary, 

Phone: (763) 568–4309

District: 9

Location: 16 3rd Avenue East

Ada, MN 56510.

County: Norman

Coordinator; Allie O’Leary

Phone: (763) 568–4309

Veterans Treatment Court

District: 4

Location: 300 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55487

County: Hennepin

Coordinator; Vacant.

Mental Health Court

District: 4

Location: 300 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55487

County: Hennepin

Coordinator; Vacant.

District: 6

Location:100 North 5th Avenue West,

Suite 320

Duluth, MN 55802

County: St Louis Duluth.

Coordinator: Elizabeth Henderson.

Phone: Phone: (218) 726–2464

District:6

Location: 100 North 5th Avenue West

Suite 320

Duluth, MN 55802.

County: St Louis Virginia

Coordinator: Aleesha Ward. 

Phone: (218) 471–7223

Family Dependency Treatment Court.

District: 5

Location: 201 Lake Avenue

Fairmont, MN 56031.

County: Jackson

Coordinator: Tracy Henning 

Phone: (507) 381–3749.