DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - St. Louis County is home to two of the four mental health courts in Minnesota; those courts were modeled after drug treatment courts but provide a therapeutic approach to offenders with mental illnesses.

Mental health courts provide an out-of-the-box option for offenders to focus on rehabilitation over incarceration, and the program’s success is evident with a special graduate being celebrated today.

Friday, the program is celebrating recovery month, and member Chad Jasper, who has been a participant of the mental health court for 14 months now.

Jasper says it hasn’t been an easy road, but he is proud of where he is now, “I’ve messed up a few times, but I got back on track and I’m doing good now.”

Jasper attributes his success in the program to the t

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