Judge Silkworth Expands Alternatives for Drug Offenders

Date Posted: May 01, 2009

For many years, Judge Ronald A. Silkworth of the Circuit Court of Anne Arundel Couny has been the go to man to say that “Treatment Works”. He also knows that as a judge he needs to stay involved. It has been proven that success rates increase dramatically if the judges monitor their clients throughout treatment and after-care. With a group of treatment providers, including our Compliance and Operations Manager, Kristy Blalock, Judge Silkworth has been instrumental in educating other judges about using addiction treatment as a sentencing option.

There is a slight stigma within the court system about sending offenders to treatment. Taking a stronger stance in the offender’s treatment program means incurring extra paper work, time, and an additional overall commitment to stay a part of the offender’s life after sentencing. At the nexus of an effective treatment program, when the judge takes an active stance, the client receives the benefit of having a strong figure in the court system that provides deterrence from returning to criminal activity. In addition, the judges willingly allow counselors to bring their clients to the court to encourage full participation from discouraged clients. When the judges choose to participate in the treatment program, the case manager from the courts is then able to stay with the client throughout their treatment and into transitioning care. This provides a much more fluid and consistent process for the client to have a key contact person to turn to for help along their full journey into recovery.

We are grateful that Judge Silkworth has taken his time to truly understand the importance of treatment for our Anne Arundel/Crownsville clients. His support of our program and educational outreach to other Maryland judges has been critical to bringing increased awareness to addiction treatment.